Awakening
by Lacrea Moonlight
Summary: When Danielle gets swept away in a flash flood, she awakens to find that she's lost in the forest with most of her camping supplies gone. Starving, sick and injured, she's found by a group that speaks a strange language, wears strange clothes and seems to be on a mission they will not reveal. Chapter 14 is up. Rated M for safety. Enjoy. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

This is a story purely for personal enjoyment. I own nothing but Danielle Barr, the character I'm introducing. I am making no money from this adventure in writing.

Awakening

Danielle sighed heavily as she finished saving the template. Glancing at the time at the bottom right of her screen, irritation flashed through her. She'd been held up 45 minutes past her scheduled shift on her last customer service call. _At least I'll get paid overtime for this,_ she thought glumly. Quickly saving her work and logging off the computer, she stood up and gathered her purse and coat. Her desk was locked and everything that needed to be filed had been. May was just beginning and it was unusually cold outside. It didn't bode well for the planned camping trip with her parents. Leaving the building, she waved to Robert, the elderly security guard on shift. He gave her a toothy grin and waved back. He was a sweet man, always greeting her with a huge smile.

The drive home was uneventful, only a small accident delaying her. Danielle carefully walked up the steps to her apartment. She couldn't afford to slip on the ice again. She couldn't afford to be out of work for a week to heal. She was still getting muscle aches from her fall last year and she still hadn't lost the weight the doctor had demanded from then. Unlocking the door to her apartment, she grinned at the smell of chili cooking in the crock pot. Danielle dumped her purse and coat on the couch before breezing over to the source of the smell. A quick assessment told her that the meal was more than ready. Turning the dial to the warm setting, she walked over to the bathroom and peeled off her clothes to take a shower. Stepping under the hot spray, she enjoyed the feeling of the tea tree shampoo and conditioner she so loved.

Her hair was a light brown, now nearly black from the water. It reached just below her shoulder blades. She was trying so hard to grow it out but having thick, curly hair was always a challenge to take care of. She squeezed a generous amount of her conditioner into her hand and worked it into her hair before using her hairbrush to work out any tangles that had developed over the day. The second round of conditioning always made her hair extremely soft. Her eyes were hazel or brown, depending on the light and her mood. She had a slightly upturned nose and pale, full lips that were only slightly more rosy than her pale cheeks.

Once the last of the conditioner had been rinsed from her hair, she turned off the water and toweled off. She glared at the scale that mocked her from its place next to the counter as she picked up the dirty clothes and tossed them in the hamper. It was an evil glass thing that had told her that she was still 237 lbs. She could hardly believe that she hadn't made any progress. For the last three months, she'd been going to the gym and had been building up her stamina on the treadmill and had been doing weight training. She'd been going slowly to start. She'd lost 15 lbs in the first couple of months and then nothing. Her trainer said she'd just built muscle but she wasn't sure that was the case.

Dressing in her favorite sweats, she served up a bowl of the chili. It was made to be heart healthy and for her weight management. It was made with turkey instead of beef. There were lots of fresh bell peppers and onions. She carefully measured the number of crackers and the amount of cheese that she placed on her serving. Measuring cups and spoons were abundant in her kitchen. Everything was precisely measured out. She was dedicated to losing weight. She wanted to lose at least 60 lbs. Her doctor had recommended 100 lbs. It made sense for her 5'4" frame.

The meal was delicious and though she wanted seconds, she took a deep breath and dished out the rest of the pot into pre-portioned meals for the next week. She didn't put them into the fridge, opting to keep the meal as fresh as possible by placing it into the freezer. She'd defrost a couple of them when she got back from the camping trip. Danielle felt the eagerness she always felt when going camping rise up inside. This was a longer weekend than usual for her office. Because there was some kind of event for the company going on, they were getting Monday and Tuesday off, too. The plan was that she'd meet her parents at a favored camping ground and they'd spend the weekend reconnecting with nature.

She had been ready to go since Tuesday. Thank god it was Friday. Danielle took inventory of her supplies one more time. She had her solar phone charger and phone in the waterproof plastic baggy, three changes of clothes that included three pairs of jeans, two tank tops, a pair of shorts and sleeping pants and two t-shirts. She had extra panties and bras. There were several granola bars and about a dozen packages of ramen. A flint and knife, a lighter, a tin cup and two water bottles were also in the bag. There was a small pot for boiling water and a small grill to suspend it over a fire.

There was a brand-new sleeping bag and extra blanket that she secured to the top of the pack where she hid her socks, all four pairs. Checking the rest of her supplies, she felt satisfied that she was prepared. Her parents would be meeting her on Saturday but she was going out tonight to get to the camp grounds and find a good spot. Grabbing her significantly thicker wilderness coat, she put on a pair of thick socks and boots. The tent was already in her trunk. It didn't take her long to load up the car and drive out to the location. The sun was setting by the time she reached the campgrounds and it was empty. Apparently, no one else wanted to be out in the cold. Danielle didn't mind. She liked the challenge.

Her hike to the location they would use took her about thirty minutes. She had just finished setting up the tent in the light of her small lantern when it began to rain. Cursing her bad luck, she shoved her pack into the tent and began to unfurl her sleeping bag. It would be a colder night than she had anticipated but since she was wearing her sweats, she had confidence that she'd be okay. Settling in for the night, she fell asleep faster than she expected to.

When she woke to the sounds of rain and the skies darker than she would have liked, Danielle groaned. The weather forecast had been wrong _again._ It was supposed to be sunny and warming up to a balmy 57 degrees, not raining and cold. Glad for having a weather resistant coat, she slipped it on and ran to the spot she'd designated the night before as her latrine. She did her business quickly and then returned to the tent with a shiver. Her boots squished in the muddy ground. It was going to get too wet to stay at this location. _I'll go to the spot that's a little further in. I'll leave them a note on the tree,_ she thought as she began to change into the jeans and t-shirt before packing up her stuff. She hadn't pulled too much out just yet, so there wasn't much to do aside from packing up the tent and her sleeping bag.

Water began to pour into the tent after a few moments. The rain was coming down in torrents and Danielle began to realize that this camping trip had been a very bad idea. _Freak storm,_ she thought. That's what this must have been. She'd checked the weather multiple times before leaving home. There was no other explanation. Quickly snatching her blanket off the ground and shoving it in her pack, she bemoaned the soaking wet sleeping bag. _Camping trip's postponed,_ she thought glumly as she dismantled the tent and emptied it of water. She sloshed to her car with the soaking gear. The water was already to her knees. She had carried the sopping sleeping bag under one arm and the tent in the other. They went into the trunk of her car with a resounding wet slap of fabric on fabric.

Danielle had just turned to remove her pack when a strong torrent of water knocked her off her feet. She yelped as her arm hit the side of her blue 2005 Chevy Malibu and the current dragged her away from the car. She watched in a strange sort of horror as the car disappeared from her view. Vaguely, she realized that the river a mile to the east must have flooded from the rain. She flopped against trees and rocks as she was carried away by the deepening waters. Danielle knew that she was likely being swept out to another river nearby, one that was much more unforgiving than the one that had flooded. The Ardent was known for the sharp rocks and swirling rapids. She wouldn't stand a chance.

Desperation filled the 26 year old as she pulled at the clips and clasps that held her pack to her body. It was already dragging her down below the surface of the water. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she hit a tree branch and felt it snap under her weight, the jagged edges creating a gash on her shoulder that bled into the water. Ahead, as her grip slipped on the clasps and clips, she could hear the mighty roar of the Ardent getting closer. Deciding that she would have to take her chances with the pack, she abandoned her attempts at dislodging it from her body and began to grasp at trees and rocks. She was so concentrated on grabbing one particular branch that was about to pass her by that she completely missed the one behind it and hit it with enough force to push all the air from her lungs. Tumbling in the water, she didn't have time to right herself before her head struck a thicker branch and her world went dark.

0o0o0o0

She was shivering from the cold and her clothes were soaked. That was the first thing she noticed when she woke up. The next thing was when she moved to sit up, her head ached and she was hit with a wave of nausea. Without a thought, she leaned to her side and threw up. Water, brown and horrible tasting, bubbled out of her body like a geyser. It took a little while, her body rejecting tons of the disgusting fluid every few minutes like Old Faithful before she felt like she could move without feeling sick. Her head still ached terribly. Placing a hand on her temple, she winced when she pulled it back and saw warm, sticky blood on her palm. As she tried to sit up she felt the weight of her pack drag her back a little. Snapping off the clasps, she released her burden and groaned.

Standing up was a chore because there were dozens of bruises on her legs that she could feel having already formed or were still blooming beneath her jeans. Shrugging off her coat, she examined the skin on her shoulder where the tree branch had cut her. There was a hole in the left shoulder of her coat and the jagged wound on her arm looked superficial but was still painful. Danielle clenched her teeth as she pulled the coat off completely and looked around. She was on the bank of a river that was flowing much more calmly than the Ardent. The landscape was moist and the air smelled of the damp earth and flora.

Shaking her head, she realized she must have a concussion. She was getting distracted to easily. _Okay, so number one thing I have to do is treat my wounds. So, I need my first aid kit._ Kneeling down and opening the pouch on the side that she rarely ever touched, she found the meager kit she was looking for. There were two sterile pads for wounds and a little pit of gauze and tape. Splashing water on her wounds to get any debris out was painful. Using the alcohol pads to clean the wounds was worse. The burning told her that she was doing it right, though. She used the first sterile pad to press against her head and used the medical tape to hold it in place. She realized that the pad was soaked through within a few minutes and had to use the second one, this time using the gauze to secure it. Half the roll was gone by the time she was done.

She used her knife to tear a section of her sleeping pants off to use as a sterile pad for her arm, grateful that she'd packed something so useful. She'd forgotten the knife last time and had to rely on her father's knife last time. At that thought, she reached for her cell phone. She'd not touched it since the night before, so it was completely charged. Pulling it out of the plastic bag, Danielle's hopes were dashed when she saw the 'No Service' message in the upper left corner. Stupid iPhone. _Must have been swept out pretty far if there's no service,_ Danielle thought grimly. She wasn't too worried. She'd been in the wilderness before. As long as she had some supplies and followed the river, Danielle was sure she would reach someone. She shivered as she realized that she was still cold. She pulled the coat back on, noting the large purple bruise on her arm where it had struck the car. She was very sore.

The more Danielle moved, the more she realized that she was pretty hurt. It was like the adrenaline was taking forever to leave her. From that, she surmised that she must not have been out for very long. It hurt to breathe, to stand, to walk, it _really_ hurt when she stooped to pick up her pack and swing it onto her shoulders again. It took her a while to get her bearings. She found the North by finding the moss on a nearby tree and determined that she was going to head East. She'd taken inventory while she got into the clothes and first aid kit. A hole had been torn in the pocket of her pack where she'd kept her food. Most of the ramen had been lost. She had two packets left and three granola bars. She had one packet banana chips to nibble on. Her water bottles had been clipped to the pack, so they were still there. She was glad she'd opted for the metal containers rather than the plastic. There were a few dings in the side but they still worked.

Danielle moved at a slow pace. She stopped to drink water once and ate half a granola before continuing. The second time she stopped was closer to dark and she realized that she was in trouble. The other half of her granola was eaten as her dinner. The next morning, Danielle felt a little revitalized. She was determined to find her way back to her car or some civilization. The blanket was stowed back in her pack and another granola was halved for the day. The belt to her pants was cinched a little tighter. She was ready.

Her revitalized demeanor didn't last long. As she followed the river, she became more concerned. She was seeing mountains in the few places where it was clear enough to see beyond the treetops. _There aren't too many mountains in Michigan,_ she thought, _but there shouldn't be any mountains around here at all._ A frown marred her face as she continued forward. Another cold night, a packet of ramen and the other half of her granola the next morning brought her to a decision. She'd gone for miles and miles and seen no one. Dropping her pack at the foot of a sturdy tree, she began to climb it. It was a struggle for her to get to the top, pulling her heavier frame up through the branches.

Once she was at a spot where she could see above the treetops, she gasped at the sight before her. She didn't recognize _anything_. It looked like the forest thinned out in several miles and there were more open lands ahead from there. It would take her far more than a few days for her to reach that point. It totally blew her away. Turning to look the direction she'd come from was a massive forest. Danielle felt her chest constrict at the sight. _At least I picked a good direction,_ she thought weakly.

She stayed in place for a while and just stared around. It was a long time before she slowly descended the tree. She didn't look much further down than finding the next sturdy branch for her feet. Danielle was massively uncomfortable with heights. When she got down to the ground, she quickly put the pack on and continued on. On the sixth day, she had only her banana chips left and the wound on her arm was becoming infected. She rationed them and made them last until the ninth day. On the fourteenth day, she had cinched her belt for the fourth time and had stopped thinking about her painfully empty stomach. Her head swam with how dizzy she was and the fever she was being tormented with.

On the eighteenth day, Danielle was ready to give up. She was getting weaker. Her body was consuming the extra weight on her body. She found some raspberries a few days prior but she'd picked the bushes clean and there were none left in the baggy she'd reused from the banana chips. Her wound, even with washing it every night was becoming rancid. The one on her head was mostly gone but her arm was looking more and more disgusting. The forest was thinning out and her pace had been sluggish for at least a week. Her mind wandered as she walked and it wasn't long before she realized that she was truly lost. She hadn't paid attention to where she was walking and had lost the river. Her ears were ringing from the lack of nourishment, from the consistent heat of her flesh and couldn't hear the water flowing.

It was the twentieth day when she just sat down on the ground and curled around her pack. She was done. She hadn't slept well during the last three weeks because she would sleep so lightly and with the fear of some animal coming after her while she rested. Danielle was exhausted. She pulled off the coat and laid it on her body as she lay down. Even the sleeve of the coat smelled bad from the nasty fluid from her wound. It refused to heal. She closed her eyes and sighed. She was finally going to just sleep. She didn't even care if something found her anymore. Her overheated body ached from her efforts and from the infection that raged through her. She welcomed the darkness that enveloped her mind in the middle of the day.

0o0o0o0

There were nine of them on the path. The whole company was obviously male, led by an old man with a long, tangled beard in grey robes with a greyish pointed hat. His well-lined face was kind and had bright, twinkling blue eyes that shined from beneath his brim. In one hand, he had a staff with a gnarled top that looked like a mass of roots twisting about. At his hip was a long sword housed in a scabbard that was well worn and decorated in foreign flowing script.

Following behind him was a rather interesting group. One was a scruffy looking man with dark hair and grey eyes. His clothes showed how worn they were and he was obviously on the road often. There were patches in the long coat he wore, though he obviously took care to keep his clothes in as good repair as he could. His boots were of a strong, soft leather that looked well worn. His hair was shoulder length and his beard was more like a heavy stubble on his strong jaw. He carried a bow and quiver on his back and a sword at his hip. He looked perhaps forty but his eyes said that he was a little older than that. Behind him was another man, his cloak and clothes making it obvious that he was of a high station. His clothes were luxurious in comparison to the man ahead of him, even his boots being obviously much newer but still broken in. He followed him with a scowl that would occasionally surface. His hair was blondish and shoulder length, close to brown, with blue eyes that were beginning to show his late-thirties in crinkles and lines and a full, trimmed beard. He carried a shield, broadsword and a horn.

Standing much shorter than the first three, almost the size of children, were four adults with rather large and hairy feet and did not wear any shoes. They were Hobbits. They had curly hair in shades varying from blond to nearly black. The darkest haired one had blue eyes and slightly hunched shoulders, as though the weight of the world sat upon them. He wore a fine coat and pants, a white linen shirt and burgundy vest. A cloak rested on his shoulders as well. The others were similarly dressed in varying shades of brown and were obviously some kind of kin to the dark haired one. The blond hobbit was stout and sure as he followed behind the dark haired one closely. He was hardly ever far from his side. He held the reigns of the supply laden pony that followed beside the long line. Behind the blond hobbit were a pair of hobbits that were of brown and dirty blond hair. They had mischievous airs about them and were in an animated conversation with the other blond about one of their favorite subjects: food.

The figure that walked behind the four child-like hobbits was a little more stocky and carried heavy armor on his person. He was mere inches taller than the four walking ahead of him and his gait was strong and proud. A thick, red beard that had a single braid down the middle went well past his belly came from beneath a thick and strong helmet that was made with geometric designs. He had a heavy brow and bright, intelligent eyes that glittered from beneath. His nose was slightly bulbous but fit perfectly with his face. A pair of battle axes were strapped to his back and a much longer handled ax was used as a walking stick. This impressive, stout figure was none other than a Dwarf.

The most youthful appearing of the lot, aside from the hobbits, was the final member of this group. He stood taller than the other men, even if only by a few inches. He had pale, luminous skin with bright ice-blue eyes shining from under dark brows. He had silvery blond hair that went to just below his shoulder blades that was straight and fine. It was pulled back into three braids, one on either side of his head revealing delicate, leaf-shaped ears and one braid that pulled his hair from his face to the back. They were braids that showed his warrior status among his people. He was dressed in muted greens and browns for his tunic and leggings, supple leather boots on his feet and carried no cloak. He was armed with two white blades that crossed his back and a bow and quiver resided there as well. This last member of the odd Company was an Elf.

They had only set out on their journey a week and a half before. Their task was of the most important that had ever been assigned and none were taking it lightly, least of all the dark haired hobbit. His name was Frodo Baggins and it was his task they were attempting to complete in all secrecy. Samwise Gamgee, or Sam, walked beside him and silently offered the troubled hobbit an apple. The Company had been walking since breakfast and it was nearing the time that they would rest for the evening. The intent was to reach the stream that branched off of the river so that they could refill their water skins and perhaps make a small stew of the vegetables they carried and the game that would be hunted before they settled in for another tense night. Tonight was likely the last night they would be able to build a fire; they were leaving the protection of Rivendell.

Frodo took the apple with a small smile and ate it slowly. He'd had hardly any appetite the last few days but it was returning. When the grey-clad leader, Gandalf held his staff up and declared that they were going to stop for the night, there were sighs of relief from the other two hobbits. They were Meridoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, Merry and Pippin for short. It wasn't long before the camp was set up. A fire was already roaring and Sam busied himself with cutting vegetables and deciding on what herbs from his small stash to use. The Elf, Legolas, and the scruffy man, Aragorn, set out from the small camp with the intent of finding meat. The Dwarf and the other man, Gimli and Boromir respectively, stayed behind and were keeping a watch while the others went about their tasks.

Aragorn and Legolas had been friends and hunting companions for many years prior. The elf had met him when he was still in his youth and training among the Dúnedain. They had become good friends over the years and had developed a series of whistles and calls for communication while hunting for either meals or Orcs. The keen ears of the elf meant that he could signal to his comrade over greater distances than the mortal men he might work with. It was with an alarmed whistle that Aragorn signaled to his companion that he'd found something that he'd not been searching for. The light-footed blond was within shooting distance in moments, his bow drawn and an arrow nocked.

Aragorn barely glanced up as he cautiously approached the curled figure on the ground. The figure was shaking slightly on the ground and didn't seem to notice his presence. There was a coat of some kind laying across the top half of the figure. The coat was a dark blue in color and had odd colored trim on the sleeves. A head of messy dark hair peeked out from under the cloth and the figure's legs were clad in some dark blue trousers and the were clad in dark boots with an odd tread on the soles. The closer he got, the more he realized he didn't recognize the material they were made from. There was a pack that poked out from under the coat as well.

He used the tip of his drawn sword to pull the coat back and felt surprise and shock on his features when he saw that it was a woman. Putting the back of his hand against the woman's cheek, he recoiled at the heat of her flesh. She was very ill. A sickening smell came from her and he pulled the coat back to investigate. The sight of a gash on her left arm by her shoulder made him ill. It was a sickly color and a thick yellow fluid oozed from a corner that had ruptured from the sheer pressure of the fluid that had built up. The odor told him that her illness was due to the infection that raged in the wound.

Legolas approached slowly and looked over his friend's shoulder, wincing at the sight of the wound. The woman's face, though covered in sweat and twisted in a grimace, was beautiful for a mortal. Her body seemed to be a little more plump, indicating that she was well fed until recently, if the tightening of the belt on her waist and the bunching of fabric there was any indication. Her body shivered and shook. Aragorn sheathed his sword and looked at the woman carefully. His fingers barely grazed the wound and the red line that had been the barely sealed edge completely ruptured. He didn't even have to glance at the elf to know that he had pulled out the water skin at his side. He handed it to the Ranger and it was carefully emptied over the seeping cut as he pressed against the skin gently. The stinking pus and fluid gushed forward and the woman gave a pained groan.

"Where is she from?" Legolas asked in confusion as he examined the shirt. The short sleeves were odd and there was writing on the front that he did not recognize as any language he'd ever seen. It was a vibrant green in color and the lettering was in white.

"I know not, _mellon nin,_ " Aragorn replied as he continued to manipulate the flesh around the wound, pushing more and more of the infection out. "Return to the camp and inform Gandalf that we have found a sick and wounded woman. She may simply be injured and lost but she may be a servant of the enemy. He will know the words on her clothes."

Blood had begun to mingle with the infected fluid and that let the ranger know that he'd drained most of it out. He'd not even noticed that Legolas had left until he returned with the wizard and Frodo. The solemn hobbit looked at the woman with concern while Gandalf gazed upon the woman with narrowed eyes. The lettering on the woman's shirt was confusing and in no tongue he'd ever seen before, which he related to the gathered group. Aragorn frowned but continued to concentrate on his work. Once he was satisfied that no more pus would emerge, he poured a little more water over the inflamed flesh and realized that small pieces of wood were stuck in the cut. Using his nails and a dagger, he managed to remove them. Legolas approached silently with a sprig of a plant, Aethelas, and he stuck some in his mouth. He chewed it carefully and then spread the chewed up plant over the wound.

The woman hadn't stirred from her fevered sleep even once while he tended to the wound. Aragorn noticed that there was a shredded piece of cloth that had laid discarded to the side and it was soaked with the infection he'd just relieved. She'd tried to tend the wound herself at some point and had failed to prevent an infection. The small group had watched him work silently, Gandalf in particular frowning and considering what he was seeing.

"Should we take her back to the camp?" Frodo asked quietly.

"She may be a servant of the enemy," Legolas warned. He was sympathetic to her situation but his first priority was the safety of their group.

"We do not know what she might be," Aragorn replied as he bound her arm, "but we cannot leave her here to die without answers to this question."

0o0o0o0

She was aware of voices around here and warmth radiating from a source in front of her. Orange light danced up from the darkness she'd been ensconced in for so long and played across her eyelids. Danielle's skin felt clammy and her breath was slightly labored. Nausea rolled through her at the smell of something cooking nearby. _Cooking? Did I leave something on the stove? Oh, crap. I hope I didn't start a fire. The landlord would kill me if I did something that stupid,_ she thought as she began to move. A groan of pain fell from her as she realized that her left arm was bound tightly and pain radiated from there. The nausea became more intense and as she tried to move, she realized that she was too weak to get far. Somehow, she had liquid in her stomach and she remembered suddenly that she'd been lost in the forest for quite some time without water. Someone had obviously tended to this problem and now her body was rejecting it.

With her eyes barely open, she crawled away from the blanket she was laid out on and moaned when the desire to empty her stomach became more intense. She registered that it was night, that there was a fire and the ground beneath her was covered in rich soil and leaves. She'd gotten about a foot away from the blanket when she couldn't contain herself any longer. Bile and water with some green crushed herbs spewed from her mouth and nose. Chills raced through her as she heaved again, someone gently holding her hair away from her face. With one final roll of the stomach, she felt the relief her body sought and rolled to the side. Someone took a cool cloth and wiped her forehead and then her face. Strong arms picked her up and laid her back in the spot she'd awakened in. A masculine voice spoke to her but she didn't understand the words.

Her eyes tried to focus on the speaker. He was ruggedly handsome with dark hair and grey eyes. Stubble dominated his jaw and there were slight smudges of dirt on his skin. He spoke again, repeating his words more slowly with a slight frown.

"What...?" she asked. The frown deepened and he turned to the side, speaking to someone. Her head lolled to that direction, feeling dizzy from the movement. There was a group of men around a fire that she'd been set near. The man in the grey robes and tall pointed hat responded to the query. He turned blue eyes to her and spoke in that same language.

"I don't... understand," she mumbled as she looked at the gathered faces. _Am I hallucinating? Does that guy have pointed ears?_ she wondered hazily as she stared at the tall blond. "Hey... he has pointy ears... did you know that?"

Danielle promptly closed her eyes and fell back to the comforting darkness she'd risen from.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up to the sensation of being moved is not always pleasant. Waking up to that sensation and realizing that your body is tied to the thing moving can be downright terrifying, especially when you're too weak to do anything about it. This was how Danielle awoke. The first thing she registered was the movement. It was uncomfortable to feel an animal between her thighs that she was unused to riding. Her torso was leaning across the creature's neck and shoulders and the pace at which they were traveling was rather sedate in comparison to what it could be. Opening her eyes and trying to sit up, she realized that her hands were tied in front of her and to the ropes that held supplies to the creature's back. Fear and adrenaline raced through her. _Why am I tied up?_ _Am I riding a pony?_ she thought with some confusion. If she'd been found by rescue services, wouldn't they have used a helicopter to get her out? And they wouldn't have tied her up, right? She'd never heard of that before. Lifting her head weakly, she discovered that there were no helicopters that she could hear and the people in front of her were most definitely _not_ rescue services. An involuntary shiver went through her as she realized that her coat wasn't on her, though she was covered with a blanket. She was also a little startled that her shirt had been changed from the green t-shirt that proclaimed her to be a 'superstar' to the plain blue t-shirt.

"Where am I?" she rasped. Her throat burned and that was only the first ache that manifested itself immediately. Her voice was cracking and she barely heard it. Her left arm throbbed where she'd been cut by that branch and her joints ached from the abuse they'd taken. Her shirt was much looser than it had been when she had started her little sojourn. Her jeans were very loose around her hips and thighs. _I must have lost a lot of weight,_ she thought with concern. It had been a goal of hers to lose weight but this was _not_ how she would have preferred to lose it. Around her, there were low murmurs and the pony came to a stop. The man with the stubble came into her field of vision and he looked at her warily.

He said something softly to her. Danielle scrunched her nose in confusion and he sighed in response. Then he tried something in another language, one that was flowing and melodic. She was slightly entranced by the beauty of it. English sounded harsh and painful to the ears in comparison to the two languages this man had spoken to her. She shook her head slowly to ensure that he realized that she wasn't understanding him. A thickly accented, booming voice to her left startled her when it spoke and she jerked at the sound. Her eyes quickly found a very short man with a red beard. Her eyes slid back to the man with the stubble as he took a step forward. His hands were splayed in the universal sign of peace. He carefully untied her hands and helped her to dismount the animal.

Danielle's legs refused to support her and the man immediately had to gently guide her to the ground. He asked her a question and she just looked around in confusion. She was surrounded by men and what appeared to be children... except their faces were those of full-grown men. The group had stopped completely. The child-like men were looking at her with curiosity and apprehension. The others seemed a bit tense. The one with the shield had a look of compassion on his face. The man with the pointed ears gave Danielle a searching look before turning his eyes to the horizon.

"Water," her voice cracked and she looked at the one holding her up. He gave her a confused look and this time, she said it again with her hand up to her face in a sign for drinking. With a nod, he grabbed a skin off one of the packs and popped the top before pulling it to her lips. She drank slowly, coughing as she realized that there were small pieces of plant mixed in. She pushed it back and he gave her a stern look before putting it back in its place. He asked her something and she looked at him in confusion again. _Just facial expressions are not going to cut it,_ she decided. _We need to figure out some way to communicate._ Thinking for a moment, she rested her hand on her chest and giving him an even look. "Danielle."

"Daan...gell?" he sounded out. She shook her head.

"Dan. Yell. Danielle."

"Danielle?" She nodded and the motion caused her to become slightly dizzy. She blinked away the dark spots that danced before her eyes. She needed to get something to eat and soon. How long had she been out? Long enough for some guys doing... what did they call it, cosplay? Some guys doing cosplay to find her in the forest. Her attention snapped back to him. He mimicked her initial motion.

"Aragorn."

"Aragorn?" she carefully parroted back. He smiled slightly and bowed his head. Danielle gave a tired smile in return. She'd always been good at pronunciations. She learned French in high school and her teacher had been impressed with how well she could imitate the accent and how quickly she had picked up the pronunciations. Once she knew how to say it, it was locked in her brain. He gestured to the old man that had approached them. He wore grey robes and a grey pointed hat.

"Gandalf." _Ah, so it's time for introductions then?_ she thought. She dutifully repeated the name. He pointed to each of the group and stated their name carefully. She repeated them back and only struggled on the name of the blond that she could only describe as beautiful. Each of the men she'd seen here was, in her opinion, uncommonly attractive but he was beautiful. She never thought she'd use that word for a male but that was what she was doing now.

"Legolas."

"Leggola?"

"Legolas," he sounded for her again. Scrunching her face in concentration she gestured for him to say it again and he complied. The blond in question was looking at them now with an expectant look on his face.

"Leg. Oh. Lass. Legolas. Legolas," she sounded out slowly at first. It was so close to the word 'legos' that she had to take a moment to dissociate the word in her head with the name that she was trying to learn before her. With the final try, she got a nod of approval from the name's owner. A sigh of relief left her. It would have been embarrassing if she'd continued to say it wrong. Her stomach chose to groan at that moment and Danielle didn't care enough to flush with embarrassment. While she'd been on the ground, Aragorn had moved slightly back and had let her sit on her own. He crouched next to her instead. He turned and said something and the group around them began to disperse with the determination of people who had set tasks they were meant to accomplish. A fire was built and a pan was placed over it to heat. Aragorn and Boromir helped Danielle to stand and get close to the small camp they were making. Glancing up at the sky, she took note that it was getting dark. Hadn't it been dark the last time that she woke up?

While the smell of some salted meat wafted from the pan, Aragorn had reached for the bandage on her left shoulder. She hissed in pain and pulled back when he pushed on the angry red wound. "What the hell?" she gasped. He lifted his hands in a placating gesture and she frowned but allowed him to touch the wound again. His fingers probed and prodded. He had a skin of water at his side and opened the top. Then the bastard pushed on the edges of the wound and Danielle pulled back again as the edges came apart and a thick mixture of pus and blood emerged. Her voice was hoarse as she moved back, falling over as she tried to retreat from the source of her pain. The others paused, some looking tense as they watched her. Danielle even saw Gimli (at least that's what she thought his name was) lift his ax a little higher as if getting ready to strike.

Aragorn stood up and had his arms out, gesturing for the others to back away. He stepped forward and Danielle just looked up in fear and confusion as she pressed on the damaged flesh. She didn't understand what he was saying but his meaning was clear: he's just trying to help. He gestured to the seeping wound and then to the water skin. Looking around, Danielle realized that they were all waiting for her response. Hesitantly, she nodded.

"I guess I have no choice, right?" she muttered as she let him tend to her. His methods were simple: he pushed out as much infected tissue as he deemed necessary, dumping a little water over the flesh to clear it and then he chewed up some plant before spitting onto her wound. That part had disgusted her more than anything and she tried to pull away again. Aragorn gave her a stern look before continuing with his work. "Wow, this is unsanitary. I mean, really, _really_ unsanitary," she moaned in disgust as he pushed the messy stuff on her skin before wrapping it in a bandage made from the very same sleeping pants she'd already started tearing up for that purpose. _I guess they looked through my stuff. Thank god I don't have to worry about them finding any tampons in there. So glad I chose to get my Depo shot last week._

He finished wrapping up the wound and helped her to get closer to the fire. The smell of the food cooking was making Danielle's stomach twist in all sorts of ways. A water skin was offered to her and she drank from it gratefully. It was the same one with the herbs in it. This time, she choked it down without complaint. She was feeling better than she had in a while and could only guess that these men had something to do with it. She didn't feel feverish anymore and from the fact that her stomach hadn't felt like it was painfully empty when she woke up, she could only surmise that they had put forth the time and effort to force her to swallow some kind of drink or broth while she was blacked out. A small plate was handed to her with slices of an apple, a little bit of sausage and some carrot pieces on it.

"Thanks," she smiled at Sam, who flushed under her gaze and turned quickly to giving food out to everyone else. The fact that he had served the one named Frodo first, and with the largest portion, didn't escape her notice. Every bite that Danielle took was spent carefully chewing and swallowing, her eyes examining this strange group for the first time.

She was sure that they were some kind of cosplay group at first. The medieval clothes, the swords and shields, bows and arrows. The axes. Even the old man with the big stick seemed like he was out of some fantasy novel. But then there were little things that made Danielle doubt this first theory. Merry, Pippin, Sam and Frodo all had these big, hairy feet that couldn't have been prosthetic. The toenails looked alive and healthy and the toes actually moved and gripped as they walked around. And their _ears._ They had these big ears that swept back into slightly wavy points.

Then there was the blond, Legolas. He was inhumanly beautiful and his eyes held ancient knowledge. And what of those delicately pointed ears? She'd never seen anything like them except in old fairy tales. She chewed thoughtfully on a piece of sausage as she directed her gaze to Gimli. If she had to think of a name for him out of the fairy tales she'd heard as a child, she'd have to say he was a Dwarf.

Looking at him now, it was fairly obvious that he matched the description. He was short, stout, strong and the brunette wouldn't have been surprised if he started singing 'Hi Ho! Hi Ho!' at any second, though he had a bit of a gruff demeanor. _He'd make an excellent Grumpy_ , she thought with a little smile. He caught her gaze and his eyes narrowed. Danielle looked away and found that she was being stared at as well. The man named Boromir had a pensive look on his face. She hesitantly smiled in his direction. He blinked and then sent her a charming, somewhat roguish grin in return. It made him look younger, more handsome. Blushing, she finished what was on her plate and Sam collected it with a smile.

"Thank you," she said softly. Though he didn't understand her words, she hoped he understood the sentiment. Things seemed to settle down as the light continued to fade from the sky. Merry and Pippin had come to sit next to her during the meal and were now whispering to one another while looking in her direction. _I wonder what it is they're talking about,_ she thought as she picked at a string on the bottom of her shirt. That action reminded her that it was a bit chilly and she pulled the blanket that had been loosely placed around her shoulders closer.

Then a thought occurred to her that should have earlier. Danielle frowned and looked down at her shirt. Last she remembered, she'd been wearing the green one. That's the one that had the hole in the sleeve from the wound she'd received. When had she changed? In fact, _who had changed her?_ Glancing around the camp, she spotted Aragorn over by Gandalf. They were speaking in low voices and pulling out pipes. In fact, most of the camp except for Boromir, Legolas and Frodo had pipes drawn and were stuffing dried herbs into the spouts.

As Danielle watched, Aragorn and Gandalf lit their pipes and took deep draws of smoke, their eyes occasionally darting to her. The smell of weed filled the air and she raised her brows as she realized just what they were smoking. "You guys like the ganja, don't you?" she asked with some incredulity.

The men around her looked at her curiously for a moment. Shaking her head, the young woman waved at Aragorn to get his attention. He stared at her and she pulled at the collar of her shirt and gave a questioning expression on her face before pointing around the camp. The question was obvious: _Who the hell saw me topless?_ The older man had the courtesy to blush slightly before he pointed to himself and to Gandalf. Danielle's face turned redder than a tomato and she used the blanket on her shoulders to hide her face. "Gods, can this get any more embarrassing? No, wait. Don't answer that. The answer to that question is always an emphatic yes," she groaned.

When she peeked out from behind the blanket, she saw some of them looked just as embarrassed as she did, though there was some mirth lurking behind Gandalf's eyes. Yawning, she realized that she was exhausted and wondered how that could be when she'd barely been awake a couple of hours. With a huge yawn, she pulled the blanket around her shoulders more tightly and leaned to her right where a large boulder was at. She wasn't sure if she would be able to sit back up if she tried to lay down. Getting into a comfortable position wasn't hard. As tired as she was, she just fell asleep as soon as her eyes were closed.

0o0o0o0

Someone was gently shaking her awake. Irritation flew through her.

"Go away. I'm not going to work today," Danielle grumbled, waving her hand in a shooing motion.

"Danielle," a soft masculine voice whispered. The gentle shaking was a little more firm this time. With a groan, she popped an eye open and then the other. _Whoa. Just. Whoa,_ she thought as she realized that she was, indeed, awake now. Legolas gave her a gentle smile as he moved on to wake Merry and Pippin. _I could definitely wake up to_ that _every morning. Quite happily. With pancakes. And strawberries._

Gimli snored loudly off to the side and broke the dazed woman from her thoughts. Sitting up, she realized that someone must have moved her during the night. She was laying on the ground with a cloth bedroll underneath her and the blanket she'd fallen asleep with tucked around her. What's more, she felt significantly better than she had the day before. She decided to test that feeling by slowly getting to her feet. Though her legs wobbled a little, they kept her up. That's when her bladder decided to make itself known. It was painfully full. Seeing that the others were in various stages of wakefulness and were taking care of some task or another, Danielle decided to take care of her problem without bothering anyone else.

With a single backward glance, she stepped into the trees. She walked for a few minutes before she was satisfied that the foliage was dense enough that she couldn't be seen. Doing her business didn't take long and a deep sigh of relief left her. Her eyeballs were no longer floating, as her mother would say. Grabbing a couple leaves from the tree she was squatting next to, she wiped and then pulled her panties up. She made a note to herself that she would change into a clean pair as soon as she figured out what they'd done with her pack.

Danielle was on her way back when a hand covered her mouth and another arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her to a hard body that smelled badly of rotting things. The hand over her mouth was vile and dirty. A chuckle in her left ear left her sick to her stomach. A harsh language was spat out from that mouth, spittle and stench following the words. Her stomach rolled and she struggled against the arms of her attacker. Another chuckle sounded next to her ear. Gods, but does his breath stink! The sound of metal being released from a sheath made her freeze. The arm that had been around her waist had moved and now a blade was pressed against her throat. Adrenaline surged through her and her mind raced.

Remembering that movie with the undercover federal agent at a beauty pageant, she flashed to the part where good ol' 'Gracie' taught a little self defense. _Never hurts to try it,_ she thought as she brought her elbow hard into her attacker's gut. He gasped and his grip loosened. The blade shifted away from her throat. She stomped on his foot hard and his hands were completely off her now. Curling her fingers into a fist, she slammed her knuckles into the nose of the _thing,_ because she couldn't think what else to call it, and was satisfied to hear the crunch of a nose being broken. Spinning around to face him, she was temporarily stunned to see how hideous it really was before gathering her wits and taking a few steps back before running forward and kicking with as much force as she could between his legs. Having played soccer as a youth gave her excellent aim.

The thing only had a loincloth to protect its family jewels and wore a shoulder guard for armor, nothing more. The howl it let out was loud and full of rage as it dropped to its knees, the blade dropping to the ground and forgotten. A rather impressive trickle of blood flowed down its exposed thigh and the front of the loincloth was dark and damp. _Oh, Gods... I must have ruptured a testicle. I mean, I heard only eight pounds of pressure could do it but, damn... That's got to hurt. I don't care who you are._

She backed up slightly from the wailing and enraged creature uneasily. It glared and pulled out a nasty looking blade that was dented and scratched. Its bulging eyes and scarred skin were pale and as it stepped forward with a faint wobble when a blur of blond and green and brown erupted from the brush behind her, followed by a much more visible Aragorn and Gimli. The twang of a bowstring sounded through the air and a sickening thud silenced the mutant. The three newcomers looked around anxiously for a few moments before ushering the stunned woman back to camp.

Legolas had pulled his arrow from the eye of the foul beast and wiped the shaft of the gore that stuck to it on the grass. He frowned and eyed the blood that streaked down its thigh and then soaked the loincloth before turning to look at the retreating woman with a raised brow and a slight shiver in his shoulders. He muttered something she couldn't understand in that melodious language she'd heard the day before and then followed behind them. She got the gist of his words. _That's right, don't piss me off. I'll break the family jewels._

As the realization that they'd killed the creature hit her, Danielle stopped and the other three men tried to urge her on but she turned away and ran to the nearest tree trunk before emptying her stomach. She'd never seen anything killed before and it made her sick to think they were just leaving the corpse in the woods. In the light of the dawning day, the woman knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that these men weren't playing games. This was no joke. They were deadly serious about the weapons they carried. After a moment she stood up straight and spat out the bile taste that lingered in her mouth. She looked in the direction of the creature and made a vague gesture.

"What the _hell_ was that?"

The three of them looked at her with slight confusion. She repeated herself a little louder, her eyes getting a bit wider as the fear began to return. Her body was already trembling from the adrenaline that had just been pumping through her from the last encounter. With narrowed eyes, Gimli stepped forward this time and pointed.

"Orc."

"Orc? _Orc?_ What the hell is an orc?" Danielle put a hand on her forehead where a headache had started to form. The three in front of her were getting antsy and it took a second of discussion before they began to lead their distraught and confused charge back to camp. The others were already packed and ready to go with anxious looks on their faces. The fire had been hastily covered with dirt to put it out and the overall feeling was tense as they looked for any signs of trouble. _Lions and tigers and orcs, oh my! Lions and tigers and orcs, oh my!_ She thought repetitively, a harsh laugh leaving her lips. "Gods, is that what I am? Was that flood my tornado? Is this Oz? Next you'll be telling me we're off to see a Wizard! I'm going bonkers. I really must be going insane," she concluded almost hysterically, her hand trying to go through her hair but being stopped by the massive number of tangles and knots. _When did I last brush it? Do I still have a hair brush?_

Nine pairs of eyes watched her with both interest and concern. It was obvious that she was distressed. But, then again, she'd never seen an _orc_ before. Whatever that was. It looked like walking scar tissue.

Gandalf and Legolas spoke briefly before the pointy eared beauty disappeared into the woods with his bow drawn. The brunette could have sworn that he leaped into a tree branch that should have been too high in a single bound. _Super legs? What the hell?_ The old man gave her a measured look before he stepped forward with his staff in hand and grasped her wrist and wrapped her fingers around the wooden shaft just below his own grip. After a few muttered words, an odd sensation of warmth and tingling slowly made its way up her arms.

Then it happened. Images poured into her head of more creatures like that orc. They were foul smelling and were committing horrific acts upon others. She had an image of a great battle between these orcs and Dwarves and people dressed in golden armor that looked like supermodels. Even Legolas was there. In fact, the supermodel warriors all had pointed ears like his. A single word transferred itself to her mind when that image came to her: _Eldar._ Was that what Legolas was? An Eldar?

Next, images of little people walking around a crowded but happy street. They had big, furry feet like her smaller companions and the same kind of curly hair and ears. The word that she suddenly associated with them was _Hobbit._ Suddenly her head ached terribly and she let go. A wave of nausea passed through her and she stumbled. A pair of strong arms caught her before she fell. Her legs already were a bit wobbly. This hadn't helped one bit. Looking up, Boromir offered a concerned look while he used a piece of cloth he tore from somewhere to wipe at her nose. A small smear of blood was there. She hadn't even realized that Boromir had moved during her little vision quest.

Gandalf looked at her expectantly and she took a second to stand up and right herself. Her legs took a moment to become sturdy again. He said something but she shook her head and held her forehead with a wince.

"I still have no idea what you're saying but that was one _hell_ of a headache you just gave me. How did you do that? Hobbit? Eldar? Was that your version of a crash course to people of the world? Needs a little work, if you don't mind my saying so. Just a little too much oomph on the back end."

Disappointment shown in the older man's eyes and he sighed. Legolas returned with a grim look on his face and spoke quickly to the others. The alarm that raced through the others caused Danielle to feel that fear rise up through her again. Whatever was going on was serious. Boromir grabbed hold of her wrist and dragged her to the pony. She thought she heard Sam call it Bill. From one of the packs that were tied to its harness, her pack if she wasn't mistaken, he pulled out her coat and handed it to her. The blanket she'd been using yesterday and last night was nowhere to be seen. _They must have put it away._ Sam handed her a small piece of fruit that she determined was a pear and a piece of dried meat after she'd shrugged on the coat. She hadn't realized how cold she'd felt until her arms started to warm up.

They started moving at a hurried pace. Whatever Legolas had said to the rest of them had certainly put a fire under their feet. The group moved quietly, and Danielle had the gut feeling that they were trying to avoid something very nasty. She didn't try to ask any more questions. She was already reeling from the imagery she'd already been subjected to. They didn't stop moving until well after dark and by then, she was exhausted. Her legs ached and her lungs burned from having kept a constant pace. Her head was swimming from the headache she'd endured all day, though it had dimmed a little with a sip of the herb-laden water that Aragorn insisted she drink.

There was more caution this time when they set up camp. The area was scouted thoroughly before even one branch was gathered for kindling. Gimli and Boromir seemed to be on a watch while the meal was made and distributed. Frodo was gazing at the woman with curious eyes. Merry and Pippin made a point of sitting on either side of her. The two jovial hobbits were talking with her animatedly, and after a few minutes, she realized that they were trying to tell her what things were called. They made a game of it.

When she had mastered how to say things like rock, fire, wood, water, frying pan, names of foods, hot, cold and other basic words relating to the woods around them, she held her hand up for a high-five. They gave her confused looks until she showed them what she was waiting for. They looked at each other and then gave an experimental high-five to each other before grinning at her.

"You two are just adorable," she laughed as she taught them a low-five and then fist bumps. Aragorn had amusement on his face as he observed her interactions. She got up and handed her plate to Sam, who gave her a smile. She rubbed her stomach and made 'yum' sound before saying, "Thank you." He flushed and tugged her hand as she turned to walk away. He said something and she repeated it back; he was teaching her how to say 'thank you' in their language. He nodded and then said what must have been the equivalent of 'you're welcome.'

Walking over to Aragorn, he looked at her with an expectant expression. Making a motion like she was adjusting something on her shoulders, she repeated the word she thought Pippin had meant for 'pack.' His eyes lit up and he walked over to the pony and untied it from the harness. She took it gratefully and began to dig through the contents. It looked like they'd gone through her clothes and rolled up everything they'd taken out. Jeans, tank tops, her shorts and her ruined Superstar shirt were all neatly rolled and stowed. Her blanket was there too. The bras and panties were behind the rolled up fabrics.

The plastic bag with the solar charger and her cell phone was at the bottom. The lighter she carried was sitting underneath it but the knife and flint were missing. Her first reaction was to look through all the pockets on the pack. She discovered an unopened packet of thin mint girl scout cookies she'd forgotten were there and . Putting the cookies back, she looked further until she looked to the man waiting beside her. He had expected her to ask him questions.

She opened up the pack and gestured to the bottom. He pulled back his long coat on his right and revealed the hunting knife she'd been looking for. She frowned and searched her memory. Had Pippin and Merry told her the word for 'give'? No. She didn't think so. She held out her hand and gestured instead.

"Give it back, please." He shook his head and patted on the hilt of the knife on his hip. He had no plans to return it. Rubbing her eyes with her hand she shook her head. They might be helping her get better but they obviously didn't trust her. Looking back up, she put her hands together and asked again. "Please."

The simple word he used to deny her was obviously 'no.' Danielle sighed. She wasn't going to get anywhere tonight. If they didn't trust her, they certainly weren't going to arm her. Turning back to sit between Merry and Pippin, she noticed that Gandalf and Sam had come to flank Frodo. Giving them an odd look, she sat down and began to review the words she'd learned during the meal with the two.

0o0o0o0

Several days passed and the group of nine males and one tired and confused female continued walking wherever it was they were walking to. Danielle had seen no settlements, no evidence that they were anywhere near civilization. The night previous had been rather... interesting, to say the least. She'd gotten bored and had pulled out her iPhone after the evening meal and turned it on. She'd been letting the solar charger hang off the top of the pack from a clip and the phone had charged during their walk. She pulled out the earbuds she always had wrapped around the thin device and tucked them into her ears. Tapping on the music app and selecting Kings of Leon, she hummed to the tunes that played loudly in her ears.

A tap on her shoulder brought her attention to Frodo, who had been slowly warming up to her over the last few days. At first, he'd been very reticent to get too close but had given her kind smiles and glances. He had started to help the other hobbits that were always pointing things out and trying to teach her new words. The others in this strange group had been putting in their two cents. She could now ask and answer some things in very broken _Westron_. That was what they called the language they spoke. Pulling the earbuds out of her ears, Frodo smiled curiously at her.

 _"What is this?"_ he asked, gesturing to the device. She didn't know how to say music in _Westron_ yet, so she hummed and pointed to it. He frowned, his head cocking to the side and she smiled.

 _"Come. I show,"_ she replied. He stepped forward slowly and she turned the volume down before carefully tucking an earbud into his ear. She selected a different song, something by Enya and hit play. The widening of the hobbit's blue eyes and jaw dropping was comical.

 _"Gandalf! Come! See!"_ he called after a moment. She looked up in surprise when the old man appeared rather quickly before her, hand gripping his staff tightly. She eyed it wearily. Frodo took the earbud out of his ear and when Gandalf got a little closer to his level, he plopped it into his ear. The curiosity in his twinkling blue eyes turned to mirth and pleasure at the soothing sounds being produced.

The old man gestured to the device and said a word. He repeated it, then hummed. Danielle nodded. _"Yes. Music."_ He took the earbud out and handed back to her. By that point, others who had been observing were curious, most notably Merry and Pippin. They wanted to try it, so she put one bud in each ear and turned on the music. Since she had selected the Enya song from the song list instead of the artist list, the song that came up next on shuffle was _Hotel California_ by the Eagles, the live version. Their eyes lit up and their bodies were swaying to the sounds. Danielle giggled as their faces screwed up while they tried to figure out the lyrics. The protests when the song finished and she pulled the buds out of their ears made her laugh outright.

With matching pouts, they walked over to where Sam was taking inventory of the supplies and tried to distract him while one of them attempted to sneak an extra bit of fruit. Standing up, Danielle had to adjust her pants again. The legs were extremely baggy and she had to fold the waistband over on each side before tightening the belt to make sure that they stayed up. Nearly a month of having very little to eat and suffering from an infected wound, which she was amazed hadn't killed her, had caused her to break through that plateau she'd hit before this little adventure started. From what she'd seen looking down at her body the few times she'd been alone, she estimated she'd lost a good thirty or forty pounds in that time.

She was about to pop the buds back into her ears when she noticed Boromir looking at her again. He had taken to walking beside her whenever she wasn't surrounded by the hobbits. Gimli was another of the group that had taken to walking beside her. She'd discovered that beyond his gruff demeanor was a very warm and jovial personality. Boromir would gallantly assist her if she seemed to struggle with things, often offering to carry something with a, _"I will help."_

He came to sit next to her and pointed to the earbuds. Danielle showed him how to place the bud in his ear and then put the other in hers. She skipped past the Britney Spears song (a guilty pleasure and only one of three you could find in her collection) and grinned at the appearance of the Nickelback song _Shaking Hands_. Hitting play, she watched his face carefully as the rock riffs started. The dark blond man grimaced at the sounds but kept the bud in his ear. It was obvious that he did not like this kind of music. With a stifled chuckle, she changed the song to something a little more soothing. His expression relaxed and the tension in his shoulders released.

 _"This music is good."_ Boromir's eyes closed as he listened to the sounds of Loreena McKennett. Danielle was pretty sure that the song playing had bagpipes as the primary instrument, though she wasn't a musician. She could sing pretty well but it was something she rarely displayed to others. She only had two years of choir in school. She hadn't pursued it after that. She often wished she'd taken up an instrument in her youth. She couldn't play a guitar to save her life.

"All my music is good," she murmured in English. She received a grunt in response. They sat in a companionable silence, listening to the music that she carefully selected for being gentle in comparison to the Linkin Park and Static X that was sprinkled throughout her playlists. Danielle had very eclectic tastes. The only music she couldn't listen to was from Slipknot, though she had tried very hard to like it in her teens. It always ended with a headache for her.

The man eventually stood up and pulled the bud from his ear. It was his turn to take watch. With a slight bow and a charming smile, he headed to relieve Aragorn and Legolas. Danielle blushed at the attention. This was not something she was used to. She had some male friends and they had smiled at her but she was the fly on the wall in most cases. She could tell when someone was flirting because she'd seen it directed at other people enough but to have it directed at her? It was just downright weird. She could hear Pippin talking to the recently relieved pair in animated tones. He gestured over to the brunette and then to his ears, obviously regaling them with the news that she could play music from a shiny rectangle. Aragorn nodded sagely and responded to the hobbit's excited outbursts with something that she didn't yet understand. Legolas smiled slightly at him and then drew his gaze to her. He raised a brow in question towards her.

Danielle realized that she wasn't going to get very much time to listen to the music by herself and waved him over. He sat down next to her, his back much straighter than the previous blond that had occupied the spot. It was getting late and the others were beginning to settle down for the night.

 _"Want music?"_ she asked with an earbud offered. He examined the tiny thing and then held his hand out to see the phone. She clicked the power button for a second and the screen lit up with an image of the desert that she liked. She unlocked the phone and the music app opened. The album cover showing right then was of a forest scene. The look of wonder as he examined the glowing device was adorable on his handsome face. She took a moment to really examine his features and decided that while Boromir's face was attractive for the maturity of his features, Legolas was attractive for the youth he displayed. His fair skin was smooth and blemish free, his lips were thin but sensual and his jaw was more masculine than she had initially thought. Her eyes were drawn to his ear and the delicate point. She wondered if his ears felt different than hers.

 _"I will listen,"_ he said softly when his examinations were done and he handed the phone back to her. She demonstrated putting the bud into her ear and he parroted the motion. Checking that the volume was low to start with, she selected another Enya song. She had the feeling that he would like that kind of music the most. _Orinoco Flow_ gently played and Danielle watched as a pleased and surprised smile crossed his lips. Maybe it was the fact that she'd been working in customer service all her adult life but she loved to see people light up with happiness. She was a people person.

Another Enya song began to play, something she'd heard was related to a famous film trilogy but she'd never really taken too much time to think on it. Her eyes had closed some time during the last song but they snapped open when Legolas gently touched her shoulder. His eyes found hers with an unreadable expression. He asked her a question but she didn't understand it. Carefully, he asked it again more slowly, indicating her phone in her hands.

 _"This music again?"_ he clarified. He wanted her to replay the song? Thinking he just liked it, she nodded and hit the back button. Glancing at the name of the song, she didn't understand why Legolas's expression was suddenly so serious. _May It Be_ was a great song, sure, but he was quite somber as he listened to it.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

He didn't respond. He held up a hand and called softly to Gandalf. Again, the grey clad man came over. He had a questioning look on his face. He knew what the device was. The blond held the bud he'd had in his ear out and said something quickly in that melodic language he and Aragorn seemed to know so well. Gandalf gave her a sharp look before placing the bud in his ear.

 _"Again,"_ Legolas said. She hit the back button and _May It Be_ began again. Listening to the lyrics, Danielle realized that there were two parts to the chorus that weren't in English. She'd thought they were Celtic of Gaelic but obviously they recognized the words. Gandalf gave her a hard look after the song ended. She hit the pause button.

 _"What wrong?"_ she asked. He seemed to consider her for a moment before he responded.

 _"Old words. Quenya,"_ and the rest of what he said was lost on her. _Old words? What the hell does that mean? And what is Quenya?_

Gandalf walked away and called to Aragorn, who was smoking his pipe before he settled down. Legolas remained behind and sat back down next to her. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and she could only give him a look of confusion before she decided to go to sleep. She didn't know what was going on but she was too tired to think about it. Stowing her phone after turning it off, she laid down on the blanket she pulled from her pack, which was a dark blue fleece-like fabric, and wrapped it around her before letting the darkness claim her for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Danielle felt a sense of excitement as she raced towards the enticing sounds ahead of her. With a squeal of delight, she pulled off the coat she'd tied around her waist and toed off her shoes and socks. She tossed down the bundle she'd been holding in her arms pulled the small pouch tied to her belt off and dropped it on top of her discarded things. At Aragorn's protest, she turned and shouted back gleefully, _"A promise was made! I will hold you to it!"_

He shook his head in amusement. There were a few excited cries behind her that made the brunette grin. Merry and Pippin ran up beside her. Their impish grins matched hers.

 _"Not here! We will go further down. Danielle, Legolas will remain. He will listen, not see,"_ Aragorn assured her. Glancing at the green-clad man she blushed and nodded. He bowed his head slightly while Aragorn and Boromir dragged the overly eager hobbits out of sight. Frodo and Sam had trailed behind initially but were a little more restrained than their kin.

Legolas turned and walked into the brush before calling back that she was safe to complete her mission. She didn't even hesitate. Her clothes were dropped into a pile at her feet and she was as naked as the day she was born. She ran forward and let herself be completely submerged in the river they were planning on settling next to for the night. There was still light in the sky and a few days previous Aragorn had promised that when they came to a significant water source, she could have the chance to bathe. It was something she'd begged for.

She sighed in pleasure at the feeling of the cool water rushing over her flesh. She'd barely stopped herself from squeaking at the cold when the water touched her skin. After a moment, she began using her fingers to scrub at her skin. The tone of her flesh was getting lighter with every layer of filth she washed away. She dunked her head under the water and scrubbed at her face. _It feels so good to just get clean!_ she thought. Her hair was her next priority. She'd been using her fingers to comb through the knots and tangles the day before and Gimli had been kind enough to let her take his extra comb. She'd been working it through her hair from the bottom layer to the top and had come away with clumps of greasy strands. She hated that greasy feeling.

Danielle went back to the shore and grabbed the comb and her razor from the pouch before returning to the water. She'd discovered it hidden in one of her pockets and was grateful for the fact that she had forgotten it. Finding a rather tall rock jutting above the moving water, she balanced the razor on top of it and combed through her hair. Tiny pieces of twigs and leaves were pulled out and discarded in the water. She occasionally glanced around to ensure that no one was there when they shouldn't be. Satisfied that her hair was combed out and relatively clean, she pulled the mass of hair back and pulled it to the back of her head where it lay against her shoulders.

Swapping the comb out for the razor, she began to shave her under arms and then used her fingers to conduct a breast exam. She'd not done one in a long time and she frowned as she realized that her breasts were abnormally firm from what she was used to. Examining them with a squint, she couldn't see any stretch marks that normally graced her flesh.

 _Didn't I hear somewhere that these things diminish to nothing once you lose enough weight? That must be it._ She shrugged and lifted one of her legs up in the water. Shaving her legs completely and then her lady bits, she examined herself further. The big belly she'd sported at 237 lbs had gone down significantly. She could even see some definition developing on her abdomen. She still had wobbly arms and legs. There were still some small rolls on her back and her hips were still very well padded. Her calves were becoming more defined than she'd ever seen them, even when she played soccer as a kid.

Once she had scrubbed every last speck of dirt and every last drop of sweat from her skin, when every last unwanted hair was removed, she left the river. She knew she had taken a long time but she'd also been sick and covered in gods-knew-what during her little adventure.

 _"I am nearly finished, Legolas!"_ she called out.

 _"As you say, my Lady,"_ he called back. From his voice, he was positioned in the treetops rather than on the ground. Danielle wondered if he'd used his super legs to do a super leap. _What is he? What is the English equivalent of Eldar?_

Once she was dressed in a clean pair of jeans and the grey tank top she'd selected, she took the strip of leather she'd been provided and used it to bind the end of the braid she'd put her curly hair into. She wasn't taking any chances with it getting so snarled again.

"Gods above, thank you for putting this river here for me to bathe in!" she sighed happily. Her toothbrush and a dot of toothpaste were used enthusiastically to clean her teeth. Spitting out the minty mixture of toothpaste and plaque, she realized that she was completely clean. With a scowl at the prune-like appearance of her fingers, she returned all of her hygiene items to her pouch; shoes and socks put on and her dirty clothes gathered, she called out to her guardian. Legolas dropped silently from a tree in front of her moments later. She hadn't even heard him approaching. He was so quiet! He averted his eyes after they did a quick sweep over her body, a faint rosy tint graced his cheeks when she didn't put the coat on immediately.

 _"I apologize. I did not realize that you were still undressed."_

 _"Undressed?"_ she asked in confusion. Danielle's top wasn't inappropriate at all as she looked down. The black strap of her bra was poking out on her shoulder. There was a hint of cleavage and the bra she was wearing emphasized that. It pushed her breasts up to make them very perky, if she did say so herself. Then it hit her. These guys weren't used to those kinds of things. Her last two shirts, which she had every intention of washing before bed, were t-shirts with short sleeves. Seeing a little bit of her arm wasn't scandalous but having her shoulders almost completely bared? That was probably too close to being topless if her arms were bared at the same time.

Blushing a deep scarlet at the realization that these men might consider her tank top to be too revealing, whether they be cosplaying or not, she pulled her coat on and mumbled an apology. Danielle was an odd sort of woman by any standards. She had always been shy and self-conscious about herself around men. She had been too consumed with her desperate situation to over analyze her actions like she usually did. She'd been acting a little closer to how she did around close friends. Suddenly, she was thinking of all the little things she might have said or done that might have been inappropriate towards them.

He gave her a nod before leading her to the camp. Some of the others were dripping wet and grinning while some were still gone. She could hear a few joyful laughs coming from a short distance beyond the brush. The hobbits and Aragorn were the ones that were still missing from around the camp. Gimli's helmet was sitting to the side and his thick red hair was well groomed for the first time Danielle could remember seeing it as such. He was in the middle of combing and re-braiding his beard. Boromir's hair was nearly dry. Either these two had just done a quick wash or she'd spent far more time in the water than she thought. Gandalf had some moisture clinging to his face but strangely, not a single hair was wet. She'd figured out that he knew some kind of magic. It had been difficult not to have that realization when he'd approached her a couple days after she'd started learning things from the hobbits and put his hand on her forehead, chanted and then gave her a satisfied smile. She'd been learning _Westron_ a lot faster since then. Scary fast, actually. She was nearly fluent.

Sitting down and stuffing her clothes into her pack, Danielle allowed herself to enjoy the chatter from around the fire. Gimli was boasting about something that had happened long ago in a place called Erebor. Boromir was laughing at the tale that was being spun and Legolas looked slightly affronted at some of the claims the dwarf was making. He seemed to glide towards where Aragorn and the hobbits were washing up and disappeared from sight. Danielle pulled her hair from the braid she'd tied it up in while she was bathing. She wanted it to dry evenly so that there wasn't any moisture on her scalp when she laid down for sleep; a French braid seemed easier to do when your hair is dry anyway.

Boromir had sat down next to her before long and he tucked a strand that had fallen in her face behind her ear. She smiled shyly and thanked him. He'd become slightly bolder over the last few days and it hadn't escaped her notice. She just didn't know what to do. _I am so out of my depth here,_ she thought as he gazed at her. _Give me an angry customer, a raging jerk, give me_ anything _where people are being pissy little bastards and I'm good. I'll calm them down and have them eating out of my palm in ten minutes or less. But this? I don't know how to deal with flirty men! I mean, gods! I haven't been on a date in over ten years. Not since Gary..._ She gave herself a mental shake. She didn't want to think about that.

 _"Are you faring well, Lady Danielle?"_ he asked. She wanted to roll her eyes but resisted the urge. She'd told them that she wasn't a lady, that she didn't want them to refer to her as such but aside from Frodo, Merry and Pippin, the others would keep saying it. Sam was only different in that he would say 'Miss Danielle.'

 _"Yes. I am better now that I have cleaned up."_

 _"Indeed, it is a comfort to wash the filth of travels past away,"_ he agreed in a teasing tone. _"I am pleased to see that a true Lady exists beneath the surface of the creature we found!"_

 _"Truly? Where is she? I have yet to see her!"_ she responded with a completely straight face, looking about the camp curiously. _"Surely you aren't talking about one of your companions? I'm positive that Gimli or Legolas would be displeased to hear you speak of them in such a way!"_

Boromir gave a booming laugh. Gimli's face turned red at first but he managed to chuckle as well. The fact that she'd included Legolas in her joke had probably endeared her to him further. Danielle imagined that if she had been blessed with having a sibling, she'd have wanted a brother like Gimli. He was boisterous, proud and had taken to being a bit protective of her. After the thing with the orc, and she still had no idea exactly _what_ that was aside from being evil and disgusting, he'd stuck close to her. He would scout the area if she indicated she needed to relieve herself carefully before letting her go.

It wasn't long before the rest of the company returned from their sojourn to the river. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin were laughing loudly at Aragorn, whose clothes were soaked as well. Legolas's hair was damp and his disposition was serene and amused. Aragorn looked less than amused and glowered at the two more mischievous of of the hobbits. Frodo quietly told her that his cousins (a pleasant surprise to learn on her part) had tricked the man into coming into the water fully clothed and had managed to dunk him. After he'd already redressed from his own bath. Danielle laughed at the particularly deep glare that Aragorn threw at Pippin. He had been the instigator.

The meal for this particular evening was pleasant until Danielle decided to ask a question that had been burning in her mind all day. These people had been generous enough to take her along with them when they could have left her to die.

 _"Where are we going?"_ she asked as Sam came to get her plate. The way he froze with his hand out to grab it made her frown. She looked around and everyone was staring at her with tense and uncomfortable expressions. There was a silence that seemed to extend even to the birds in the trees and the insects that had been trilling around them. The men closest to Frodo seemed to move so that he was behind them, as if they were protecting him from her sight.

 _"Lady Danielle, do you sing?"_

 _"What?"_ she asked in surprise. Gandalf's question completely took her off guard. His face was guarded as he looked at her.

 _"Do you sing? Surely with such an impressive device that plays music at will, you could let us hear your voice as well,"_ he reasoned. A deep red blush crept up her neck and to her hairline. She looked down in embarrassment. Gandalf's expression had begun to relax.

 _"I-I have not sung in many years,"_ she admitted. She was flustered at the thought of performing in front of strangers.

 _"I would be interested in hearing you sing one of your songs. Do you think you could translate one so that we might understand its meaning?"_ he asked with kind eyes. The others were taking their cues from the old man and were now relaxing a bit.

 _"I suppose I could try..."_ she hedged. _"Give me a moment to think on it? I have so many to choose from and would try to select one that all will enjoy."_

 _"Of course, my dear! Please, take your time!"_ he responded with a smile.

Danielle wasn't a fool. As she turned on her phone and scrolled through the music to find a song that she could at least _try_ to sing for them, she knew that this was just a diversionary tactic. If they could redirect her attention to something less important, then she might forget all about what she'd asked. She wasn't going to forget but she'd wait to ask the question again until another time.

Selecting a Disney song, she took a moment to listen to it to remind herself of the lyrics. It was a favorite song because of how energetic it was. She cleared her throat and shyly hummed at couple of notes to warm up her voice.

 _"This song was sung by a prince and a servant in his kingdom,"_ she explained. Danielle was nervous and it showed in her voice as she continued. _"It's from a children's story I've always loved. The prince is still very young when he sings this. I like singing in the voice of the prince and the servant because the servant's voice is just too funny to do it any other way. Please forgive me if it sounds bad!"_

Closing her eyes and taking a calming breath, she began to sing. She didn't belt it out, like she normally would have but that was fine. She couldn't help but to have a silly grin on her face while she went back and forth between the voices. She made sure to try and sound like the character's voices when she did songs like this.

 _"I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!_

 _Well, I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair!_

 _I'm gonna be the main event like no king was before!_

 _I'm brushing up on looking down! I'm working on my roar!_

 _Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing!_

 _Oh,_ _I just can't wait to be king!_

 _You've got a rather long way to go, young master if you think -_

 _No one saying 'do this!'_

 _Now when I said that -_

 _No one saying 'be there!'_

 _What I meant was -_

 _No one saying 'stop that!'_

 _Look, what you don't realize -_

 _No one saying 'see here!'_

 _Now see here!_

 _Free to run around all day!_

 _Well, that's definitely out_

 _Free to do it all my way!_

 _I think it's time that you and I arranged a heart-to-heart!_

 _Kings don't need advice from little hornbills for a start!_

 _If this is where the monarchy is headed, count me out!_

 _Out of service, out of_ Africa _! I wouldn't hang about!_

 _This child is getting wildly out of wing!_

 _Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

 _Everybody look left! Everybody look right!_

 _Everywhere you look I'm standing_ spotlight _!_

 _Not yet!_

 _Let every creature go for broke and sing!_

 _Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing!_

 _It's gonna be King Simba's finest fling!_

 _Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

 _Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

 _Oh, I just can't wait! To be king!"_

During the song, she hadn't looked around too much. She focused on the campfire or on the reactions of the hobbits. They had started out with curious faces and had quickly turned to glee. Their hands were slapping their knees (Frodo being the exception) and clapping excitedly at the end. Boromir had been sitting next to her and put his hand on hers, gently squeezing it as he murmured his compliments. The others, once she looked and met their eyes, had some smiles that were in contrast to their tense postures. Danielle noticed that Legolas in particular had tense shoulders as he looked at her. _Was my singing really that bad?_ The blush that had been staining her cheeks intensified as his eyes caught hers. _Yep. He probably hated my singing,_ she thought as she turned from his intense gaze. Aragorn's reaction to the song seemed almost comical. His brow was cocked in an expression of incredulity. Gimli was puffing on his pipe with an amused look on his face.

 _"That is an... interesting song, my dear. Very lively!"_ Gandalf grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. _"Perhaps tomorrow night you can grace us with another? I would hear you sing something without silly voices attached."_

Danielle wished she could melt into the ground from the heat that was searing in her cheeks and ears. She didn't want to be rude, so she nodded meekly. She was going to regret this. She just knew it.

0o0o0o0

The trees had been thinning out as they traveled and now they were out in wide open spaces with grassy lands and a mountain she'd glimpsed days ago through the trees loomed ahead. Legolas had been making an effort to understand English. He was pointing to things and asking, _"What do you say?"_ He and Gandalf had asked her to play the song again shortly before he started doing this. They'd had Aragorn listen to it that time. It made Danielle think back to the movies it had come out with. She'd been a teenager when they'd come out. They were based on a series of popular books that'd been around for decades. _Who wrote those books? Didn't my cousin say it was Tolkien? Something Tolkien? Gods, what was it about? Something about all this is starting to feel familiar. Weird._

Completely astonishing the lost girl, he was picking up English as easily as if he were just taking a refresher course on it. Nearly a week later, he was progressing very quickly. Danielle was estimating that he would be completely fluent in English in less than a month at the rate he was learning.

"I just don't understand how you're doing it," she shook her head as she stared at him. Legolas gave a serene smile and continued to scan the horizon. They were stopping for a short break. The terrain was slowly becoming an incline. In the distance Danielle could see the beginnings of boulders. "No one picks up English that quickly. Where I come from, it is the most difficult language in the world. Even some native speakers have trouble with it!"

"The tongues of others come easily to the _Eldar_ when we desire to know them," he responded simply. Danielle choked on the water she was sipping and pounded on her chest for a second. He looked back at her with concern and she lifted a hand in his direction while she cleared her windpipes. A faint blush stained her cheeks and she fought against it getting deeper. She'd neglected to explain that in her culture, people took damn near everything other people said as sexual in nature. It was an innocent comment, she was sure, but if it had been said at home... "Are you well?"

"Fine!" she gasped. She prayed that he would attribute her rosy cheeks to the near-death experience she'd just had. "Just fine! Sipped my water too fast."

 _"Shall we continue our lessons?"_ he switched to _Westron_ in a businesslike tone. She sighed and nodded. He was trying to teach her about the peoples that had been mentioned numerous times during their conversations. He was probably the most difficult teacher she'd ever had, only for the fact that unless he would not let her express anything in English. Giving her an encouraging smile, Legolas drilled her on the history of a place he'd called Esgaroth. The idea that a dragon had burnt a city on the lake to ash was absurd but she discussed it as though it were a real event for his sake. She struggled through the entire rest period before they began walking again. History had never been a strong point of hers. Though Legolas had a look of clear disdain on his face, he said nothing to Gimli when the dwarf came to walk beside Danielle.

 _"I hope you're giving the lass a rounded education and not just the views of the edhel,"_ he groused. Danielle frowned at the unfamiliar word. _Edhel?_ She turned to Legolas with an expectant look. He didn't comment.

 _"What are edhel?"_ she asked, trying out the new word. Gimli chortled at that in an almost gleeful manner. Her other companion stiffened as he walked but kept his silence.

 _"Legolas is Edhel,"_ the dwarf explained. Another wave of confusion hit her.

 _"I thought he was Eldar?"_

 _"Eldar is one name for his kind. Another is edhel. He did not explain this to you?"_

 _"No. Then again, I did not think to ask. What would you be called in this tongue? In mine, you are a_ Dwarf."

 _"I am khazâd,"_ he told her proudly. She nodded thoughtfully and attempted to pronounce the word. Gimli gave a hearty laugh and clap on the back when she got it on the first try. Her shoulder really ached for a while after that. All while she spoke to the stout warrior (for he had made it clear that he was such and there was no mistaking that!), the pointy-eared male on her other side made few comments. She couldn't help but wonder why these two didn't like each other; the dislike was completely mutual. Did Gimli fart on Legolas's favorite tunic or something?

Conversations like this started up and were had the rest of the day. By the time they set up camp for the evening, Danielle's head was spinning with all the new information. She now had an idea of who and what hobbits were, where they lived and how they loved nature and a nice patch of earth for planting and gardening. That was Sam's favorite past time and, it turned out, his profession! She learned from Frodo that he had an uncle named Bilbo (a name that rang a very loud bell for some reason) who'd gone on a great adventure more than sixty years ago with a group of dwarves. Even more interesting was that Gimli was the son of Glóin, one of the dwarves Bilbo had traveled with.

Boromir was the son of an important man in his home city, but she couldn't seem to pronounce the name without butchering it. Danielle kept saying Dementor and couldn't help but giggle at how similar Boromir's father's name was to a villainous character from a children's book she'd rather enjoyed growing up. She didn't tell him that. She wanted to keep him in a good mood. Aragorn was a ranger, or that was the nearest comparison she could make for the description he gave. He traveled the forests fighting evil. That was more on the level of a roaming superhero, if she was really being honest. Finding out that Gandalf was an _Istari_ , or a Wizard was quite a shock. She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't felt and seen the images he showed her with his staff. She had yet to gain more information about Legolas or other _edhel._

If Danielle was being quite honest with herself, she was amazed at how well she was taking everything. Given her situation, she should have called every last one of them nuts and run for the hills. However, she'd had nothing but honesty from them since she woke up in their care. This group had generously taken her in when she was injured and dying in the middle of a forest. They had cured her ills, fed her and let her come with them, though it was obvious that she was putting a slight strain on their food supplies. They asked her for nothing in return. They hadn't even demanded to know what she'd been doing in the forest alone! _They must be waiting to see if I'll volunteer that information myself. Must be part of why they haven't returned my knife and flint. Have to give a little trust to get a little trust,_ she thought.

It was after the evening meal had concluded that she decided to take a chance. She had enough knowledge of _Westron_ to try and tell her story now. Legolas knew quite enough English to help her figure out the words she didn't yet know to use. Everyone was getting ready to clear off for bed or their shift on the night watch when she cleared her throat. The chatter which had been lightly filling the air between the rest of them quieted down and Danielle found nine pairs of eyes watching her. It was almost unnerving.

 _"I want to thank you all,"_ she began with a sweeping motion of her arm. She struggled to think of the right words. _"You took me in and cared for me. I've been a burden to you and you've been so generous."_

 _"It is nothing,"_ Legolas said quietly and she gave a nod.

 _"It is more than I could have ever asked. You have helped me with no thought for yourselves. You have never asked how I came to be in the forest in such a state of injury. I would tell you that now."_

She looked around and found that Gandalf and the hobbits had leaned in slightly. Aragorn, thoughtfully puffing on his pipe, was reclined against a rock. Boromir gave her an encouraging smile, a small wink nearly going unnoticed by her. Legolas had his back to them as he kept his gaze on the open plains that were slowly being left behind but his head was tilted in her direction. Gimli was sitting next to her and she could smell the pipe weed that he'd just lit and was puffing away on. Taking a deep, calming breath, she told them about the camping trip and that she was supposed to be with her parents. She talked about the flash flood that swept her away. She animatedly used her arms to describe hitting the tree branches and the one that had left the nasty scar that was currently healing on her left arm/shoulder area. Descriptions of where she woke up and how long she'd been lost for were given.

The hobbits were hanging on her every word when she talked about running out of food and it seemed to dawn on some of the group that she truly would have died if not for their intervention. Then she asked a question that she thought would have been easy to answer. _"Where in_ Michigan _are we? I do not recognize this place."_

 _"What is_ Michigan _?"_ Merry asked with wide eyes. Danielle gave a short laugh, positive that he was kidding. When he didn't laugh with her, when no one joined her at all, she quieted and swallowed slightly.

 _"You have never heard of_ Michigan _? The_ United States of America _?"_ she asked slowly. From the blank stares she received, her thought was either these guys were really good actors or they were serious about not knowing these places. She was leaning towards the latter. Her voice came out small when she asked her next question. _"Where are we?"_

 _"Arda. Middle Earth in the common tongue,"_ Gandalf was giving her a pensive, curious look as he responded. _"But you are not from here, are you?"_

 _"What is Arda?"_ she whispered her question. Danielle was almost afraid of the answer. Gandalf started explaining and words that she didn't know were thrown her way. He would pause and help Legolas figure out how to express the ideas he was trying to get across in a way that didn't seem terribly insane. Once they were finished, she was very quiet while she absorbed everything they had told her. She took a breath and then looked pointedly at the wizard. She opened her mouth and then reconsidered the words that had been ready to fall from her lips. She opened her mouth again but closed it a second time. She felt like a fish out of water gasping for the sweet relief a good swim would bring.

 _"Miss Danielle? Are you all right?"_ Sam's gentle tugging on her sleeve brought her back to reality. Not sure what to say, she nodded. Her mouth remained shut. _"Do you need anything? I think I still have a little bit of that lovely stew we had earlier, if you think that would help. I know you were still hungry earlier. You're just too nice to say anything."_

Danielle gave a small smile and shook her head. Her stomach was rolling over and over itself right now. She wasn't sure she would be able to put more into it without losing it later. She barely was able to reply, _"No thank you, Sam. The offer is very kind. Let us save that meal for the morning, like you meant to."_

 _"As you say,"_ he replied with a look of concern. Frodo's face mirrored the sentiment. Unable to look at the rest of them without feeling out of sorts with herself and the world around her, Danielle pulled out her blanket, yanked it around her body and curled up between Merry and Pippin's bed rolls. It had sort of become her designated spot as both would curl up next to her for warmth during the night and had initially fought for the right to stay in their spot. The reason they fought so hard? She was like a furnace when she slept. It was one thing that Danielle had always felt a little embarrassed about, aside from her weight. Friends who would invite her to sleep at their house in the summer had always complained about it when they shared a bed. The only time it seemed reasonable was during the winter when freezing toes would be jammed into her side or between her thighs.

She lay there for quite a while, her mind racing. There were low conversations that occasionally took place. Conversations waned and then there were the sounds of even breathing and Gimli's snoring. _Gods, he sounds like a diesel engine on idle!_ Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. She sat up and looked around. Boromir was on watch by himself. Everyone else seemed to be sleeping, except Legolas. He was sitting up and gazing into the distance. Pulling herself carefully from the two cuddled up on either side of her, Danielle picked her way over to the bearded man. He glanced at her and gave a smile.

 _"Tell me about your city?"_ she asked softly as she sat down next to him. Pride filled his eyes and caused his chest to puff out a bit.

 _"What do you wish to know?"_

 _"Tell me about your favorite place?"_ His smile turned into a wide grin.

 _"My favorite place in the city? I find this a difficult question to answer. Every part is precious to me. However, there is a room within the Tower of Ecthelion... I found it when I was a boy. It has a large window that overlooks the city and when the sun rises, you can see the pink and orange light dance upon the white stone,"_ he murmured to her. His eyes were scanning the horizon as he spoke. His face reflected love for the memory he was sharing. _"There is a garden just below that window that shines brighter in the morning light than any other part of the city. It was my mother's favorite garden and she would tend it daily. My father built it for her before my birth."_

 _"It sounds beautiful,"_ she sighed. _"Does she still tend to it?"_

 _"Nay, she does not. She left this world many years ago."_ Danielle felt like she'd touched on a taboo subject.

 _"I apologize. I did not know,"_ she said regretfully. Boromir glanced at her and bowed his head slightly.

 _"It is no trouble. You have a gentle bearing that reminds me of her. I think you would like to see Minas Tirith. I would show you that garden one day, my Lady."_ He looked at her and placed a strong hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before he turned back to continue his watch. His hand slid down her arm to encompass her hand.

She blushed and then cursed the fact that she was blushing so much around the man. _Why is he even interested in me? I mean, yes, I lost some weight but I've still got wobbly bits all over. And my hair feels so gross! I need to wash it again so badly_ _. And the_ smell! _Gods, I must stink to high heaven!_ She stopped her inner musings to take a tentative sniff of the air. So far, she hadn't stunk too badly since bathing in that river the week previous. He didn't smell too badly just yet either. _We're all going to smell sooner or later_ _,_ she reasoned to herself. Okay, so smelling bad wasn't going to be an excuse. But she couldn't figure out what it could possibly be that had his interest about her. Back home, she was the least attractive woman in the room on a regular basis. This was not something she knew how to deal with.

After a few minutes more of sitting in a companionable silence, she stood up and wandered back to her spot. As soon as she was wrapped in her blanket and settled on the ground, Merry and Pippin found an arm and had curled up to her sides. Though she lay in place, she did not rest. Her eyes remained on the stars that slowly passed above her and she searched unsuccessfully for familiar constellations. The stars were brighter and easier to see out here. With a sinking feeling in her chest, she realized that she couldn't remain in denial. Somehow, she wasn't in Michigan anymore. _Wizards and hobbits and orcs, oh my._


	4. Chapter 4

**_I want to thank everyone for their reviews. WickedGreene13, Puffgirl1952 the 2nd, Guests 1 and 2 and Koba. Your reviews were fabulously inspirational and I look forward to this chapter being worthy of more commentary. 8 reviews so far. I'm excited to see what everyone has to say._**

 ** _Also, at the midway point of this chapter, Westron will no longer be expressed in italics. Why the midway? Because I said. So, there._**

0o0o0o0

 _My feet are killing me!_ She thought. The incline they'd been climbing the day before hadn't evened out and now her legs were burning with the effort. There were blisters on her feet that ached and she wished fervently to stop and take care of them but that was not meant to be. Danielle didn't dare ask to rest any more often than what they already did. Wherever these guys were going, they were behind schedule in getting there because today had been fast-paced in comparison to the speed they'd been going at before.

Danielle had kept to herself for the most part since waking up. She didn't even remember falling asleep. Realizing that she wasn't in Michigan, as she'd assumed from the start, had been a shock. She didn't know how to process it. So, she'd distracted herself with that conversation with Boromir. It made her think of her conversations with Legolas about Esgaroth and the dragon Smaug. If it was true that she was in this place called Arda... there might be dragons here. She'd loved dragons growing up. Legolas had smashed that love to pieces with his description of Smaug.

Apparently, dragons in Middle Earth were intelligent and inherently evil. _Legolas said that his father fought dragons before. I wonder if that's a common thing among edhel. But what the hell are edhel in English? What does that mean? How long do they live? Are they like the Asari in Mass Effect and live 1000 years, or do they live 100 years like humans?_ Looking at the blond in question, she frowned. How would she go about this? On the next break, she decided, she would ask him to explain what it means to be _edhel_.

The next break didn't occur until they made camp that night. The mountain that Danielle had noticed through the trees what seemed like a lifetime ago was looming closer than she'd ever thought she'd get. In fact, she'd never even been that close to a mountain in her life. Volunteering to get some firewood, she was surprised when the focus of her earlier thoughts volunteered to go with her. While she picked up branches and sticks, he questioned her about some words she'd taught him in English that didn't sound like others.

"Well," she began in English, "a lot of words are borrowed from other languages. English is the most complex language there is where I come from because it is always changing. A word that might have meant 'happy' a hundred years ago means 'stupid' or 'homosexual' today, though it still retains the original meaning if people use it in that context. That being said, there are hundreds of words that we take from other languages and adopt into our own because they have no equivalent that we can think of. Like bouquet. Bouquet is French and can refer to either a bunch of flowers that are arranged in a certain way or it can refer to how something smells."

He nodded as he gathered more branches. They continued in silence for a while before he paused with a curious look on his face. "What does 'homosexual' mean?"

She blushed and laughed nervously. "I don't know if you guys have anything like this here but... a homosexual is someone who is sexually attracted to people of the same gender as them. So, a homosexual man would find other males to be sexually attractive instead of females. They will fall in love with and marry other males quite happily. The same goes for females. Homosexual females find and marry other females that they fall in love with and are attracted to."

There was a stunned look on the blond's face. "Is this common?"

"Fairly. Is that a problem?" she asked with a raised brow.

Legolas was silent for a moment as he considered this. Then he shook his head and gave a small smile.

"Nay, it is not a problem. I have not heard of this before… but I find comfort in knowing that it can transcend gender. Love is a precious and sacred thing. Just as precious and sacred as children are among the _Eldar._ "

They were heading back to the camp after a few more moments of silence. There was more than enough kindling and wood for camp that night and it would keep them to morning at the very least. Just before they reached their destination, Danielle posed the question she'd been mulling over earlier that day.

"Legolas… can you tell me more about the _Eldar…Edhel…_ whatever your people are called?"

A laugh left him and she realized it was the first one she'd really heard from him. It was a warm sound that was musical to her ears. The grand smile on his face that accompanied the sound was dazzling and in the dying light of the day, Danielle could have sworn that his skin was glowing faintly. She gave herself a mental shake. _Glowing, indeed!_

"What would you like to know?" he asked jovially.

"Whatever I can," she laughed in response. His good mood was infectious. Her tone became teasing. "For example, do all _edhel_ know archery or just you?"

"Alas, I cannot claim to be the only archer among my people! In my lands, we are all trained as warriors and archery is necessary for all to learn. We have spiders to keep in check," he explained with a twinkle in his eye.

"Spiders? Is that a joke?" she giggled. Legolas shook his head.

"I would not jest about such a thing," he said as he helped Sam arrange the wood and light a fire using the flint that had been in the brunette's bag. He stood and considered it in his hands before putting it in hers and closing her fingers around it. "Spiders can be terrible and dangerous things," his voice was softer now.

"These spiders… are they big? Because I really, _really_ don't like spiders. When I was a kid, this big, black spider that crawled up my leg when I was playing with my cousin near his house and it bit me right here," she lifted up the side of her jeans and indicated a white patch of skin that was scarred over on her calf. It was about the size of a quarter and looked like the flesh had melted away and then been healed over. "The bite _hurt_. I slapped it and killed it. Then I started to get sick. My father looked at it and said it was a Black Widow."

"Black Widow? I have not heard of this kind of spider," he admitted as they moved to sit together. Gimli was watching them from where he sharpened one of his axes and grumbled about, " _Speaking words we could all understand."_

"It's one of the most deadly kinds of spiders out there. It's completely black except for a red hourglass on its belly. I was seven when it happened and at that age, the bite should have killed me," she explained as she brushed a finger over the flesh in question. She always had a strange fascination with that particular scar because of the fact that, for reasons still unknown, she had survived that brush with death when all the doctors claimed she was doomed. A memory that her parents claimed was just a hallucination always stuck with her from that ordeal. She'd never shared it again after their insistence that it was just in her head. She shook her head and smiled. "I have had fear of them since."

"I understand," he said gravely, with some sympathy. "I do not think you would enjoy my lands, then. The spiders are larger than some men."

Danielle's eyes widened and a shudder went through her. _"I think I would agree. I don't think I'd like to visit any time soon."_

 _"Visit where?"_ Boromir asked, his eyes sliding between the two.

 _"My homeland,"_ Legolas responded. _"We were having a discussion about spiders."_

 _"I have heard of the spiders of Mirkwood. Hideous, foul creatures,"_ the man scowled.

 _"Why would the lass want to visit the edhel when she could visit Erebor! There are such wonders you would see within our halls!"_ Gimli cried.

 _"I'm sure that Lady Danielle would be honored to see the great halls of your kin and perhaps see Imladris or Lothlórien,"_ Gandalf interjected sagely. _"In fact, it is my belief that we should take her to see the Lady Galadriel. We are headed in that direction. It would be no issue to request her safety and perhaps discover any further purpose to her journey to Middle Earth."_

 _"Who is Lady Galadriel?"_ she asked curiously.

 _"She is one of the wisest of the edhel. Long has she ruled over Lothlórien and her kin. Many have sought her council in these past ages and she has given it well,"_ the wizard responded.

 _"Ages? How long is an age? Ten, twenty years?"_

 _"The Second Age lasted 3441 years, my dear!"_ For the second time that day, Danielle's eyes widened. This time was a little more amusing to the other nine companions.

 _"Are you saying that this… this… woman is over 3000 years old?"_

 _"Much older than that! But she is not a woman. She is edhel."_

 _"How old do edhel live to be? I mean, surely they don't live forever!"_

 _"Edhel are eternal,"_ Legolas responded with a look of curiosity. _"Are there none like this in…_ Michigan? _"_

 _"No, nothing lives forever where I come from… Edhel_ … Oh, gods! I think that I know what _edhel_ are now! _Elves!_ " Danielle turned her eyes to Legolas with a newfound understanding and wonder as she switched to English mid-sentence. _"Elves! We have old legends about them and they are said to be of the 'fair folk.' They live forever in a place removed from the world of men. They live in harmony with nature and are supposed to be the happiest people alive!"_

 _"Aye, that is a good description of the ones I have met,"_ Boromir laughed. _"They can also be a very serious lot. But they have the best wine in all the realms!"_

 _"It's true! Elvish wine is the best!"_ cried Pippin. _"Merry and I made it our mission to verify this claim when we were in Rivendell."_

 _"Yes, many bottles were examined,"_ Merry's voice and face were a bit more serious but for the twinkle of mischief in his eye.

 _"So that is what happened to Lord Elrond's stores,"_ Aragorn said with a stern countenance. Except… there was a mild twitching to the corner of his lips. Danielle looked between him and the two suddenly frozen hobbits. _He's pulling their legs!_

 _"So what if the lads got into some of that wine? What Lady Danielle should be hearing about is the exquisite malt beers produced by my kin! Do you enjoy beer or ale, lass?"_ Gimli's voice was booming with the excitement of this particular subject. Apparently, dwarves are fond of their alcohol.

 _"There is no better ale than that found at the Green Dragon! My old gaffer brews the best in all the Shire, make no mistake!"_ Sam chimed in. It wasn't long before Danielle's desire to ask questions about elves were drowned out by the various claims of who had the best brews and wines to offer, great declarations that she would have to sample these different drinks and the laughter at some of the ridiculous claims that were made about the potency of these drinks.

0o0o0o0

Danielle looked at her surroundings with trepidation. Something wasn't right. Where were the others? She could have sworn they were right there a moment ago. She was in a room that she didn't recognize. Everything was made from dark or black stone. Jagged corners and odd angles dominated the structure. There was a chair in the middle of the room, which was no larger than thirty feet in diameter. The chair was cut from the stone itself and was obviously never going to move from that place on the floor.

Chains were draped across it and ichor dripped from the dark metal. The smell that permeated her nostrils was suffocating and made her want to retch. The odor of rotting flesh and dead things was everywhere.

"Hello? Is there someone here?" she called at the sound of a chuckle. Her voice trembled and her limbs were rigid. She couldn't _move._

A shadow raced by and she gave a terrified yelp. It didn't look human. A harsh language that she couldn't place but somehow understood sounded through the room.

 _"I see you…"_

A scream tried to tear itself from her lips but silence reigned in that dark, dank place.

0o0o0o0

She sat up with a gasp. Her heart pounded and her hand clutched the blanket that had tangled itself around her legs. From across the camp, Frodo was staring at her with wide eyes. He was the only other awake and it was only through the embers of the fire that she knew it was him. He was grasping something from under his shirt tightly as their eyes locked. Somehow, she knew that she couldn't ask him about this silent communication that was occurring between them.

Conversations were a little livelier during the next day's trek and the brunette was in better spirits. In fact, she was feeling very good despite the nightmare that had frightened off the desire to sleep the rest of the night. She'd laid back down and stared at the stars above until the sky lightened. She made a point of helping with whatever chores she could handle. She carefully avoided the sweet natured, dark haired hobbit. The way he'd looked at her last night had been frightening.

They stopped for a midday break on an outcropping of rock. Frodo and Sam were by the fire, where sausages and other savory things were being cooked. Boromir demanded that Merry and Pippin pull out the swords they'd been carrying and they began a training session that left Danielle fascinated. Swordplay had been an interest of hers growing up but her parents had been overprotective of her and refused to let her get into fencing. She took dance classes instead.

When she was 19, she'd been part of a hip hop dance group that travelled the world. She'd been on the rise in popularity in dance choreography and was _the_ name in the industry. She'd been contacted by various artists and had done videos for them. Then everything had changed… Gary had made sure of that.

Danielle mentally shook herself. She couldn't think of that now. She returned her attentions to the hobbits as they took turns fighting with the much taller man. Boromir seemed pleased with their progress. Aragorn was taking a bite out of an apple as he watched the training, calling out his own observations.

"Move your feet!"

Gimli was more content to watch off to the side, puffing on his pipe as Gandalf did. Legolas was keeping watch. Danielle had been surprised to discover that elves had far superior hearing, sight and strength to men. This was not more keenly demonstrated than when she had muttered about his super legs under her breath when he'd made a particularly tall leap on a boulder earlier in the day to see further ahead and had turned to reply in English that all elves were similarly gifted. This had caused her to stumble and sputter in surprise.

She had quietly pulled out her headphones and listened to music in one ear while the other earbud was taken by Pippin, whom she'd been walking next to for the last hour. He'd come to love rock music as much as she did. He particularly enjoyed Seether and Nickelback. The first time he'd heard an electric guitar riff, he'd jumped in surprise and had asked what kind of animal made that noise. Then he'd asked to listen to it again. He was hooked. A little victory dance was had, much to the puzzled expressions of her companions.

"If anyone were to ask me, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way 'round! Gandalf! We could pass through the mines of Moria! My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome!"

"No, Gimli. I would not go through Moria unless I had no other choice."

"What is Moria?" Danielle asked as she tore her eyes away from the amusement that Pippin and Merry were bringing her as they tackled Boromir 'for the Shire!' She was struggling to keep her giggles under control, especially with the amused looks the man in question was sending her way. She covered her mouth to stifle the laughter when she turned back his way and saw that Aragorn had also fallen victim.

Gimli was about to answer when someone pointed out something dark on the horizon.

"Nothing! 'Tis but a wisp of cloud!" he responded dismissively.

"It's moving fast. And against the wind," Boromir's voice sounded suspicious and held a tone of warning.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted. That got everyone moving.

"Hide!" cried Aragorn and Danielle froze in place, unsure of what to do. She was pulled bodily into the brush behind Merry and Pippin. Things were silent for a moment and she was wondering if it was safe for her to even speak when a loud and large flock of black birds screamed past where they had been having a moment of rest before. All she could hear was the breathing of the two hobbits behind her and the pounding of her own heart as they stayed hidden for a few moments longer after the birds had passed.

It seemed like an eternity before she had the nerve to crawl out of their shared hiding spot.

"What was that?" she asked shakily.

"Spies of Saruman! The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras!" Gandalf replied. Several of the company looked up to the mountain that loomed over them and Danielle groaned with the realization that they meant to cross the mountain.

"I don't understand. How does a flock of birds equate to us climbing a mountain?"

"Those birds are spies of the Enemy. We cannot continue our current course if they know our path," the wizard replied evenly.

"How are _birds_ spies? It isn't like they could speak!"

"It does not concern you," he said with a finality in his voice and a glare in his eye. He was obviously not in the mood for questions. Danielle shrunk back slightly and looked elsewhere. _Grumpy, weird old wizards,_ she thought. _It's a valid question. Birds can't talk... can they?_ _And who is Saruman? What in the world are they trying to hide from?_

0o0o0o0

They packed up the camp in what felt like record time. Since most of it had been cleared away in the attempt to hide, there was only packing up Bill the pony and heading towards the mountain. Before they got too far away from the woods they were skirting before, they gathered wood for a fire and strapped them to the poor pony. Danielle grabbed a few large sticks and held them to her chest. She didn't want to burden the poor animal any further. They stopped for the night before continuing their trek.

For hours, they walked through the snow, which wasn't so bad at first. Danielle was from the UP of Michigan, so it wasn't like she wasn't used to digging her way forward. Her boots were made for hiking but she often used them during the harshest winter months because they were sturdy and thickly lined. Her toes could stay warm for a few hours out in the white stuff. She was huffing and puffing alongside of Sam, the snow having built up to mid-thigh, when she spotted Frodo falling down the slope ahead. He fell down past Boromir and came to a stop just in front of Aragorn.

She was about to step forward and help him up when he grabbed at his shirt and had a slightly panicked look on his face. She was about to ask what it was he was looking for when Boromir picked up something shiny on a silver chain from the snow. It was a golden ring. However, Danielle was suddenly aware that everyone's eyes were on the Gondorian, hands were on swords and even Legolas's hand was slowly reaching towards the bow mounted on his back. _What the hell? Why are they freaking out?_

"It is such a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over such a small thing... Such a little thing," Boromir said softly, his eyes glazed over as he stared at the golden trinket. Danielle's brow furrowed in confusion. _Is he talking about the ring? What's so special about it?_

"Boromir. Give Frodo the Ring," Aragorn's voice was commanding but soft. His hand hovered on the hilt of his sword. Boromir's blue eyes seemed to snap back to the present. With a chuckle, he handed the necklace back to the dark-haired hobbit.

"I care not," he gave an easy smile. His body was tense as he ruffled Frodo's hair. He shouldered his shield once again and turned back to climbing the side of the mountain. Danielle followed in silence, for the most part. Whatever was going on, she was now positive that it had something to do with Frodo and that strange golden ring he kept hidden beneath his shirt.

When they stopped for camp that night, Danielle stared at Frodo and frowned. She already knew that if she asked about their destination that it would be like talking to nine brick walls. Based off of the reactions of the strange group she was traveling with, she would probably get more information out of the mountain if she asked about the ring. She shook her head. _I don't know what I've gotten myself into but it's_ weird. _As in, I normally wouldn't touch this with a 30 foot pole weird._

She must have been staring at the hobbit a lot more than the others were comfortable with because she was nudged and made to engage in conversation with Aragorn and then Legolas after a while. They maneuvered her so that she no longer had him in her sight. Then, she was asked to stand watch with Legolas for a while. She was exhausted but she agreed. When she was finally allowed to go to sleep, she sank into the darkness easily.

Aragorn made sure to keep between her and Frodo the next morning. When it began snowing, she unzipped at compartment in her coat and produced a dark blue hat she had crocheted during the winter. It was a double-thick hat that clung to her head and was big enough to cover all of her hair, her ears and dipped to her eyebrows. The mirror of that compartment on the other side of the jacket contained the scarf she'd made to match. She wrapped it around her face and neck.

They continued up the mountain and the higher they got, the worse the weather became. It was getting colder and soon, Danielle couldn't deny that her feet were cold and her legs were freezing. Her hands were buried in her pockets; her gloves were still in her Chevy Malibu where she'd stuffed them when winter had seemed to abate. They stopped again and that night, they took a chance and made a fire. Well, Gandalf made a fire. The flint couldn't seem to make the wood catch fire. Somehow, the fire that Gandalf produced caused steam to rise from all of their bodies and the wet bits of their clothes warmed and dried.

It was all for nothing. As soon as they started again, they were soon soaked to the bone. _Well, all except Legolas. How unfair is this? How does a grown elf get to be so light that they walk on the snow? Does he have hollow bones like a bird or something? Holy crap!_ Danielle thought jealously as the blond in question walked above them. While they struggled through the drifts that were chest height for her, he was breezing along the top of the white stuff like he was taking a stroll in the park. At the moment, she was just struggling to keep up behind Gandalf. He had asked her to walk with him, again keeping her away from Frodo.

In order to keep her sanity in the coldest weather she'd ever been in, Danielle had been humming the most ironic song that came to mind. _Let it go, let it go! The cold never bothered me anyway,_ the lyrics bounced around in her head like some kind of mantra. She felt like if she thought those words hard enough that she would eventually stop feeling the freezing winds that were abusing her exposed skin and ignoring the jeans she wore.

 _Such bullshit has never been more apparent,_ she thought as she glared at Legolas again. He didn't feel the cold. She had begun to think of him as the male equivalent of Elsa and had even imagined him twirling around in a shimmering blue tunic, throwing blue snowflakes into the air. The image was enough to make her giggle through her shivering. The idea of him creating an ice palace seemed completely possible. _I wonder if his soul spirals in frozen fractals?_ Another giggle came out. _Should I teach him that song just to see if he sings it? Oh, the possibilities..._

The subject of her thoughts gave her a bemused look at her giggling and continued past her on the snow to the head of the group. Then he called back to Gandalf, something about voices on the air. Danielle couldn't have cared less. Unless those voices also had hot chocolate and a sauna for her to sit in. She couldn't hear Gandalf's cry either. Her ears ached from the cold and her concentration was shot. Her mind was wandering and she was so tired that she wanted to lay down and go to sleep. She was quite surprised when she was pushed back and suddenly buried in snow that had fallen from above.

The brunette gasped and received a mouthful of snow. She didn't know which way was up or down. She reached her hand out of her pocket and tried shoving it upwards into the white tomb that suddenly encompassed her. Dazedly, she wondered if she was supposed to be more frightened but the adrenaline that was supposed to wake her up wasn't coming. She was so tired...

A strong hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her hard. With a cough, she was pulled up from the freezing snow. It was inside her coat now and her arms, which were bare beneath the coat, were covered in raised hair and shivering violently. She was going to freeze to death on this mountain. Blinking dumbly at her savior, she didn't respond when Legolas asked if she was okay. His hand reached beneath her hat and his eyes turned grim as he felt how cold her skin was. His fingers were so warm!

Looking around, she noticed that the others had been pulled from the snow already. She must have been the last one, on account that she hadn't really had the strength to struggle against it anyway. Legolas walked away for a moment but returned with the fleece blanket from her pack. He wrapped it around her and she just nodded dumbly while he told her to remain where she was. Around her, there was a strong debate as to where they should turn now. She didn't care. She just wanted off the mountain. Frodo was the deciding factor in their new path. They were going back down the mountain. They would go through Moria. Whatever that was. Danielle was too tired and cold to care.

0o0o0o0

Coming down the mountain was far more enjoyable. Once they got to a certain point, the storm that had been hindering them had disappeared completely. Danielle had been grateful when they stopped for another break with the fire, though no true camp was made. They were eating dried meats and fruits for meals and Danielle was making it a point to not eat as much as she had before. She could stand to lose a little weight, the others couldn't. Her pants had to be adjusted again in her belt.

When she felt warm enough, she had balled up some snow and tossed it at the back of Boromir's head. First, he gave an indignant cry and turned to find the culprit. She'd shamelessly pointed at Pippin, who gave her a bewildered look. Then she got a slushy snowball to the face when Merry had defended his kin's honor. The snowball fight that took place was exactly what was needed to release tensions. Gandalf had the unfair advantage of using magic to prevent any snowballs thrown his way from hitting him. They'd evaporate into steam when they got close enough.

By the time they finished, even Aragorn was chuckling at the state they were in. Legolas had somehow escaped being hit as well. Danielle vowed to dump a handful of icy snow down the back of his shirt but was caught both times she tried. She ended up with the snow being dumped down her coat instead. The shriek she gave in response made him clap his hands on his ears, giving her some satisfaction. The others seemed to relax their guard between her and Frodo the next day and she was able to converse with him about the Shire and his uncle Bilbo. He pleasantly described one of his uncle's adventures facing off against goblins. When he paused in the description of finding a magic ring, she had to wonder if it was the same one that hung around his neck.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Thanks again for the reviews jshaw0624, WickedGreene13 and Puffgirl1952 the 2nd_** ** _. I enjoy reviews. Feed off of them, really. Feed me. Please._**

0o0o0o0

Frodo regaled Danielle with how his uncle had managed to slip past the elves of Mirkwood, with Pippin, Merry and Sam each adding in little bits of the story that they felt had slipped past their good friend's attentions. She didn't miss the slightly irritated and miffed expressions that crossed the face of the only elf she knew at some of these mentions.

"So, Bilbo followed the elves as they took the dwarves into the halls of Mirkwood and snuck past the guards unseen. He remained hidden for several days! Oh, he went through almost every nook and cranny to be found in that place and was seen by none! The great elves of the Woodland Realm were ignorant to his existence!" cried Pippin, completely oblivious to the growing ire of Legolas. Danielle cast an amused glance at him. His eyes caught hers for a moment and all she could do was put her hand up to stifle the giggle that threatened to explode.

"I see!" she nodded, her eyes not leaving his. "Legolas, what say you to this tall tale? Is there any truth to it? Did Bilbo Baggins really outwit the great elves of the Woodland Realm?"

"He used magic to hide himself from our gaze. I do not see this as outwitting my people. Simply tricking them."

"And he used trickery to help my father and kin escape, to great advantage," Gimli chimed in, a twinkle in his eye. This was clearly a touchy subject for the elf and he couldn't resist getting his digs in. "I would say that whether it is trickery or not, Mr. Bilbo Baggins was quite the sneak! Fully up to the task of burgling, as he was contracted to do! And he did it to the dungeons of Thranduil, where none leave but by the will of the King!"

The irritation in his eyes was almost comical. Almost. Aragorn called back to Legolas in that melodic language she'd learned was elvish, or Sindarin as they called it. The blond bounded forward eagerly, obviously wanting to escape the dwarf's ridicule. The young woman felt bad for contributing to it.

Things turned from companionable to terrifying far too quickly for Danielle's tastes. Something started following them almost as soon as the snow was left behind. At first, she thought it was her mind playing tricks on her. Shadows moving about just out of sight. Things lingering in the corners of her eyes. She didn't speak up about them because she wasn't the only one who'd become more suspicious and tense at every shadow that moved in their vicinity.

A shudder ripped through her as she heard the howls that rang out when they got closer to the woods. They took shelter on a hilltop where a ring of stones gave them some measure of protection. Shadows had played around them for quite some time before a snarling creature was spotted. It looked like some mutant dire wolf from the Museum of Natural History gone horribly wrong. Its head was massive and mouth full of teeth. The eyes were the most unsettling. They glittered with intelligence and predatory glee. The Company drew in tighter around the hobbits.

When the wolf-like creatures attacked, Danielle had nearly needed to change her pants. Aragorn finally pressed her knife back into her hand. It was 13 inches in length and was made for hunting and for sawing into wood. One side had a smooth edge and the other had a serrated blade. It felt good to have something in hand to protect herself from the beasts that suddenly haunted their footsteps. At first, Gandalf used magic and fire to hold them back. Some of the beasts grew bolder and because she had been on the outer edge of the group, one snapped at her arm. Its teeth grabbed hold of the material of her coat but released her when she slashed its snout.

"What the _hell_ are these things?!" she cried out as she was pulled back into the group by Boromir. His eyes were wild as he examined her for injury. She was unharmed, by the grace of some higher being. He seemed satisfied with her state after a moment and pulled her closer to him.

"Wargs!" Aragorn replied with his sword drawn. Another of the foul creatures lunged forward for her, sensing that she was the weakest of the group. A cry of terror left her as she was grabbed again, this time by the leg and was dragged towards the darkness. It whipped its head from side to side savagely, causing her to fly about like a rag doll. An arrow suddenly jutted out from the creature's flank and it howled. Another arrow pierced its eye and it fell still. Groaning, she wriggled her leg free from its maw. With tears of pain in her eyes, she was pulled back towards the group, this time into the middle where she was better protected. Frodo turned a worried eye to her bleeding calf. Pippin and Sam each put their hands over one of the steadily oozing wounds and tried to staunch the flow.

Danielle grit her teeth and did what had to be done. The warriors of their little group were busy keeping back the monsters that hid in the night. She had to take care of herself. She pulled her belt from her pants and wrapped it around her calf, just below the knee and took a deep breath before she pulled hard on the leather strap. A strangled grunt left her as she buckled it into place. With a whisper, she asked Merry to pull open her pack, which was right by his head where Bill stood, and to pull out the torn pants from the top.

She used the knife she'd just gotten back to tear some large strips off of the ruined sleeping pants but started to feel a bit dizzy from the effort. Blood was still seeping from between Pippin's and Sam's fingers. Her fingers loosened around the hilt of the knife and it clanged when it fell to the ground. She gave some folded pieces to the two hobbits that were looking at her with terrified expressions.

"Miss Danielle! Please, don't strain yourself! Aragorn will be able to help you! I know it," Sam tried to assure her. She was feeling a little colder and knew that wasn't good. One of the teeth from that thing must have nicked something important in her leg for her to be bleeding so much still. A small smile crossed her lips. She needed to reassure the slowly panicking hobbit. Vaguely, she thought about how strange it was that she was the one bleeding and yet she was comforting him. And being so calm. Then again, she wasn't so good at customer service back home for nothing. She knew how to keep things orderly when they got out of hand. Calming down the frantic customer was a specialty of hers.

"Press these pads onto the wounds, Sam, Pippin. Sit on them with your knees if you have to," she instructed as she handed the torn pants to Merry and Frodo. "Try to use that to wrap it up." She felt sluggish. _What a useless little girl I am,_ she thought as she watched them scramble to follow her instructions. _So fucking useless. What am I even doing here? If they would have just let me die in the woods, they wouldn't be in this situation. I'll bet that I'm the reason that this is happening. I'm such a fucking failure._ The pain of them kneeling on her wounded leg jolted her from falling to sleep.

"Flee from here, if you have any sense in your heads!" Gandalf cried to the wargs from above her. "Flee and I will let you live another day! Come no further! Do not challenge Gandalf the Grey!"

With a wave of his staff, flames encircled the Company. She could see glittering eyes slowly walking around their encampment. She could also see the faint pool of red beneath her left leg where she was bleeding. _Please don't let me bleed to death. I'd rather not die like this,_ she thought hazily as she eyed the warg that stared hungrily at her. The beast had thick ropes of saliva hanging from its jowls. It _wanted_ her. It was then she realized that she might actually die during the course of her time in this strange place.

She was shaken from her realization when Aragorn appeared before her dazed eyes. He was pulling the tourniquet even tighter on her leg but she was already falling into shock. He barked some orders to Boromir and Gimli, both of whom flew into action after a moment. The ranger gave her a comforting smile. "Worry not, Lady Danielle. You will not die like this, I promise." She nodded woozily. She must have spoken out loud when she was thinking about just a moment before. Oops.

Boromir cast worried looks at the young woman. He had been attracted to her almost as soon as he saw her. Her mahogany curls, her expressive eyes. She was so short in comparison to himself but that just added to the beauty he saw. He had guessed that she had seen perhaps 23 winters. She was of a thicker body than most women he'd met and he found that to be enticing. Her clothes were ill-fitted to her and it was entirely due to her nearly starving to death before they found her. She still retained the womanly curves that he had become more and more interested in seeing and exploring…

The Gondorian shook his head and continued on his task. He pulled out another pouch and cried out in victory when he spotted the tiny white flowers crushed in the herbs. He handed it to the ranger and felt his heart constrict at how pale she was. The bleeding in her calf had slowed but her bindings were not enough to stop it completely. That's why Aragorn had demanded the herbs. The potency of elvish medicine and the herbs tucked into the wound would likely be enough to save her life. Gimli had found one of the woman's recently cleaned shirts and tore it into strips for use as bindings and pads for the blood to soak into.

The dwarf looked upon the young woman as a sister after several weeks. She was so sweet and innocent in some ways but devilishly like a dwarf in others. Her music, which she'd shared with the whole Company, had been quite varied in temperament and taste. He found that he liked the wailing voices of a band she called Static X. The guttural cries in their music were fascinating and the music itself sounded like metal being chiseled from stone in some cases. Music to his ears. He also had discovered that she had a mouth like the most unruly dwarf at times. The curses she would mutter in her native tongue, once she explained their meanings, had been endearing to him. To his knowledge, he was the only one she'd explained those curses to in the first place. Not even the damned pointy ear got to know that; he puffed up in pride at knowing something the elf didn't.

The whole company seemed to be entranced by the shallowly breathing woman. Indeed, she was going into shock as she suspected she was. Water was given to her and Frodo was instructed to help keep her awake by talking to her. She fell unconscious before he could even begin his task. They watched her anxiously, eyeing the perimeter often for the wargs that had caused her wound, looking for any sign that the woman they had all begun to care for was going to stir… or pass from this world.

0o0o0o0

The walls of Moria were a sight to behold. Danielle had never seen anything like it. Sheer rock walls rose up before them and structures that looked like they used to be bridges or arches to welcome visitors were crumbling on the exterior. They were not far off from the doors, or so she heard. Honestly, she wasn't too keen about going to this place. After it was explained to her what Moria was, Danielle had struggled to keep her mouth shut. She did _not_ want to go in there but there were multiple assurances from Gimli that his people were going to receive them and give them quite a welcome. It wasn't a matter of being welcomed, though she did not say that. It was that Danielle had never been fond of the dark.

One of the most embarrassing things she'd ever endured was when she was 17 and was on a trip with her dance group. There was a power outage on a cruise ship they were dancing for. She'd been in her cabin, in the dark, for six hours in the middle of the night. She'd been terrified, sure that something was in the room with her and Jennifer, the girl she'd been assigned to bunk with. It was something that she had never managed to live down among the other men and women in the group but she wasn't ashamed of her fear. She just had an extremely difficult time with discussing it. At all. To anyone. Ever.

 _They're going to have it completely lit and the dwarves there are going to guide us safely from one side to the other. It'll be fine._ ** _I'll_** _be fine._ She took a calming breath as they got closer to the lake. However nervous Danielle was about Moria, she was more than willing to endure that versus the foul creatures that followed behind. Her leg still throbbed. She was lucky that she was even alive. She was still weak from the blood loss and poor old Bill was the unlucky bastard that had to bear her weight. She was surprised that the pony hadn't died from all the weight he carried. He was a stout and true creature.

They were getting closer to a large lake that sat before the doors. Frodo slipped slightly and his foot splashed the water. He pulled it out like the liquid were lava. When they got closer to their destination, Gimli started tapping at the walls with his ax.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," he explained, tapping another spot.

"Yes, indeed! Even their own masters can forget their secrets if they are not careful," Gandalf replied as he searched the wall as well.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas drawled just behind her. Danielle had to stifle a giggle. She caught a glint of mirth in the elf's eyes as he passed. Soon, they stopped at a particular spot. Gandalf had found something. He dragged his fingers across the stone in front of him, blowing away dust from some faint design.

"Ithildin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight," he declared softly, turning his eyes to the darkened sky above. There had been clouds covering the moon but they parted, as though by his command, to reveal the full moon. Danielle's eyes widened as the faint designs in the stone started to glow white under the pale light.

 _"Mon dieu,"_ she whispered in French, earning raised brows and questioning looks from all around. She shook her head and waved her hand dismissively.

"It reads, "The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter! I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs."

"So, the ones who made these doors wrote that they made them? Must have been very proud of their work," Danielle commented.

"Indeed, these doors were made by elves and were well crafted," Gandalf replied.

"What does it mean?" Merry asked.

"It's quite simple! If you are friend, you speak the password and the doors will open!" Gandalf turned to the doors and lifted his staff to the door. _"Annon edhellon, edro hi ammen!"_

When nothing happened, the tired wizard tried another incantation. Again, the doors remained stubbornly closed.

"Nothing's happening," Pippin commented innocently.

"Once, I knew all the tongues of men, elves, dwarves and orcs," he muttered as he tried pushing at the doors in frustration.

"What are you going to do, then?" the hobbit asked.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took, and if that does not shatter them, I will be allowed a little peace! I will try to find the opening words," he boomed in irritation, though his voice softened at the end. With that, he turned to the doors and began trying another incantation. Danielle sighed and began to move so that she would slide off the pony. Aragorn came over to help her. She winced as she landed but didn't complain.

"You should not be trying to stand," he admonished as she hobbled over to a nearby grouping of rocks. She just smiled, though it was strained.

"As I understand it, I will be needing to stand quite a bit more than would be recommended once we get into those mines," she muttered as she sat down. The wound had been well dressed by the ranger but he was ever watchful for infection. A warg's mouth was bound to be filled with all sorts of nastiness. "I need to learn to endure it."

"We will be helping you to walk once inside, Lady Danielle. That is a promise," he responded as he checked the wounds and adjusted the dressing. She looked away and pretended that she was somewhere else, her uninjured leg tense and braced against a nearby rock. He gave her a grateful glance. He had learned the hard way a few days ago that she tended to kick in the direction of anything that was causing her pain. She'd given him a good knock to the head when she jerked awake as he changed her bandage.

Once he was finished with her, he went over to Bill and began to pull supplies and things from the pony. Sam was fretting over the creature's safety, most specifically against the wargs he was sure to face once they finished setting him free. He couldn't follow them into the mines. The packs were carefully gone through and things redistributed. Danielle insisted on shouldering her own things.

"I don't have much in there," she reasoned. "Just a few articles of clothing and some personal items. Load me up with some of the supplies so I can carry my fair share."

"You are injured and would not be able to handle such a burden," Boromir tried to be gentle in his words but to Danielle, they sounded condescending. She glared.

"I'll let you know what I can and can't handle, okay? Just let me do this."

"I can carry your 'share' of the load, my lady. It will be no trouble," he insisted. Where Merry and Pippin were quietly eating what Sam was cooking, they looked between the two as though they were watching a tennis match. If they knew what a tennis match was, that is. Gandalf was still trying different spells to open the doors before them.

His attempt at gallantry was having the opposite effect now. Before the warg attack, she might have let him help her simply because she'd been so taken with this man that flirted with her at every turn. She would have blushed and shyly accepted and would have continued to blush with every glance he threw her way. She was so unused to having a male's attention before she was thrown into all of this. Now she was feeling overwhelmed because she was getting _too much_ attention from him.

Danielle's revelation that she really could die here had opened her eyes. She wasn't quite so taken with the sweet and gentlemanly things he was trying to do now. It was getting irritating and she was trying to hide it. He obviously cared about her and she was still confused as to if it was just her imagination or if he really did have a romantic interest in her. She was still too shy to ask.

"Boromir. I'm injured, not an invalid. I will carry my own share. Please don't make me repeat myself because I can get very angry and rude when I'm ignored," her voice was steady and brokered no room for negotiation. Her voice wasn't raised but it had a distinct ring of irritation to it. The Gondorian frowned and did not comment for the moment. There was still time to convince her otherwise, he was sure.

0o0o0o0

Danielle sighed deeply. Gandalf still hadn't found the opening words and she was spending a little time dozing off. She wasn't able to fall asleep completely because Merry and Pippin had taken to tossing stones into the water. Aragorn stopped them after a few minutes and Gandalf sat down with a muttered, "Oh, it's useless."

She was in a little bit of a day-dream when she got the instinct that this was somehow familiar to her. The feeling was growing more and more intense by the minute. She snapped out of her half-asleep daze and sat up straight.

 _"Déjà vu..."_ she muttered. Sam, who was sitting quietly next to her, looked up in interest.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's a phrase from a language in my land called French. It means 'already seen.'"

"Ah. But, why did you say it?"

"Because it relates to a feeling or sensation. I don't know why but I feel like I have been here before or seen this already. It's so strange..." she replied absently. Looking around, she knew she'd never been here before. She couldn't have. But there was a tense feeling in her gut that was growing into a steady thrum of fear and anticipation.

"It's a riddle!" Frodo's exclamation startled her. She looked over to him as he stood up from where he'd been quietly talking with the dejected wizard. "What's the elvish word for 'friend'?"

 _"Mellon,"_ Gandalf replied and the doors rumbled briefly before opening. The anticipation in Danielle's chest turned into a deep and abiding dread. With a groan, she got to her feet. It had been hours since she last stood and her leg was still giving a dull ache that radiated up to her knee and thigh but it had diminished enough for her to notice. _Must be the herbs Aragorn applied an hour ago,_ she thought. She began to limp forward with her pack shouldered and clipped at the front under her breasts. Boromir gave a longing look that she caught and she shook her head. He came to walk beside her and silently offered his arm for stability. She took him up on that with a quiet 'thanks.'

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves! Malt beer! Ripe meat off the bone! This is the home of my cousin Balin and they call it a mine. A mine!" Gimli boasted as they slowly entered the darkened area. Danielle cringed and her anxiety skyrocketed when she heard something crunch menacingly beneath her foot. _Skeletons,_ the thought came unbidden. _This is no mine. It's a tomb!_

"This is no mine. It's a tomb!" Boromir's words came out exactly at the same moment it rang through her head. Her eyes raced to Legolas and she thought, _Goblins_ , just as he cried the same thing after tossing down an arrow he pulled from one of the corpses before them. He had his bow and an arrow at the ready, his eyes searching for threats. Danielle knew, though she wasn't entirely sure how, that the danger he sought was behind them at this point, not in front of them.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here," Boromir said lowly, his sword drawn and his other hand grasping the young woman's wrist to pull her with him. "Get out. Get out!"

They were slowly backing out when all hell broke loose. Something grabbed Frodo and pulled him back towards the dark water. Boromir released her wrist and whipped around. Danielle spun to see what she knew was there. An image had sprung to mind before she even turned to look. It was far more terrifying than the image she'd conjured in her head.

Undulating black flesh, tentacles and a moaning mouth had erupted from the water. It held Frodo in the air by his leg and he cried out for help. The entire company, save for her, rushed forward and began hacking at limbs, loosing arrows and attempting to save the hobbit that was in peril. Danielle could only stare in horror. Under her breath, she began to mutter.

"He will be dropped, Aragorn and Boromir will be there to catch him. Legolas will loose an arrow. They all run for the mines. The Watcher tears the doors down behind us..."

She stumbled back just before the last bit came true. The beast in the water moaned lowly and shot forward, grasping the sides of the stone. She fell to the ground with a muffled grunt as the stone was ripped down and darkness descended. All around her, the sound of heavy breathing gave her little comfort. She couldn't see anything. All she could taste was the dust in the air and it made her cough as it invaded her lungs.

Somewhere to her right, a light began to emerge. It was Gandalf. He had placed some kind of stone in the grasp of the winding tendrils at the head of the staff and it glowed like an LED light. Panic that had been rising in her chest from being in the dark lessened slightly. But not a whole lot. Legolas was the one who came to help her up. Boromir was still getting to his feet.

"Now we have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. It is a three day journey to the other side," Gandalf warned as he took the lead. Though she knew she should say something, Danielle kept her mouth shut about the strange foreknowledge she'd had only seconds before the Watcher had attacked. She needed to figure it out for herself before she could say anything out loud.

0o0o0o0

Legolas looked down at the young woman that limped beside him and gave her a comforting squeeze of the hand. She was shaking, though if it was from the darkness or from the creature they'd just barely escaped an hour ago, he did not know. The elf prince had to admit that though this woman had been highly suspect when he'd first laid eyes upon her, she had become very dear to their fellowship in the time since her arrival. He admired that she never complained about how far they walked, what tasks she was given (now that they trusted her more) and she seemed to have some kind of amused expression on her face at all times. He'd been curious as to what had amused her so much on the mountain when she'd stared at him when she thought he wasn't looking. He'd heard her giggle more than once at his retreating form. What amused him was her music choices that she shared with them on the few nights she had sung for them. Many of the songs she chose were from children's stories. She had a beautiful and warm singing voice...

More than anything else, he found he enjoyed her company. He enjoyed helping her to learn Westron and was immensely enjoying learning 'English,' as she called it. She was fond of explaining little nuances of certain words or things from her homeland and he was fond of listening. She was extremely intelligent, from what he gathered.

 _"English was the language of the Engles. And it's changed so much since it began. There's Old English and Middle English. Modern English is so far removed from what it used to be that if someone who spoke Middle English were to turn up, it would be impossible for us to understand each other! And, it's a Germanic language, which means that it has a lot in common with a language called German. Then again, English is a language that borrows from a_ lot _of other languages. I think I explained that once but, it's an important thing to know..."_ she had rambled on in her native tongue just on the way to the accursed mine they now crossed through.

It caused a strange twinge in his chest when he thought of leaving her in Lothlórien. He thought it was because he had become so used to her presence but part of him rejected that. There was something more. He disliked how forward Boromir was towards her. He disliked how the Gondorian made her blush. He even would go so far as to say that he _hated_ how the man would go out of his way to hold her hand or grasp her shoulder. It was obvious that he was interested in her but how far did his interest go? The elf did not want to dwell on such thoughts. They made him irritable.

For now, he would content himself with being the one she leaned on in the mines, helping her to navigate the obstacles as she limped forward. He noted that she was panting faintly and a thin sheen of sweat covered her brow. Without asking, without a thought, he stopped and scooped her into his arms. She gasped in surprise and tried to struggle from his grasp.

"Lady Danielle, you are tired and you have an injury that caused you to lose blood only a few days ago. You need rest," he murmured into her ear. Even in the darkness, she blushed as red as her body could make her cheeks with the depleted blood supply.

"I don't want to be an even bigger burden than I already am," she whispered back. "I can make it, I promise."

"Aragorn promised you that we would help you walk through the mines. I am simply holding to that promise," he replied. Ahead of them, Boromir had paused and was frowning in their direction. Inside, Legolas was preening at the fact that she had flushed for him instead of the bearded man.

"He said help, not carry. So, you can put me down," she pointed out with a frown. He continued walking without a comment in return, he just shook his head. She tried to struggle a little but he simply gave her a raised eyebrow in return. She sighed in frustration and decided her best bet was to pout. He just found it endearing.

Danielle was just befuddled by the fact that she hadn't realized just how _nice_ the blond holding her smelled; who knew that someone could smell like sweet grass and pine trees naturally? And the fact that he bore her weight while walking as though she were light as a feather was bewildering to her. Being forced to be so close to him, and in the darkness no less, was eye-opening to her.

She'd started to feel something for Boromir in the last week or so. A deep fondness that had taken root in her belly and had been growing up to her chest. Now, she was a little confused. She was sure that the elf hadn't been giving her any signals of interest. Then again, who could miss the signals Boromir was throwing out? Perhaps Boromir's advances were drowning out her ability to notice other subtleties.

Her adrenaline was still up from the encroaching darkness. She dared not speak of the things she could have sworn moved in the dark. It was her imagination that was causing the swirling images before her eyes. Unconsciously, her fingers grasped his tunic a little tighter at the shoulder. She really, _really_ hated the dark and wished this part of the trip would go quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

**_I want to thank Guest, Koba, jshaw0624, WickedGreene13, and Puffgirl1952 the 2nd for their reviews. I couldn't read them at first because of a glitch on the site but now I can see them. By the way, if you are wondering, I didn't get this chapter out on 4/14/16 because I was taking exams for my new job all day. I had maybe an hour to write for fun and not for work things. As a bonus, this chapter is a little bit longer, though not by much. And, there's more stuff from the book here. Specifically, a song. I mention this because I am disclaiming it. I don't own it. Tolkien does. Genius._**

 ** _I'd like to share the inspiration for Danielle's being a part of a hip hop dance group in her youth. If you go to youtube and do a search for Royal Family Front Row World of Dance Los Angeles 2015, you'll see a video that's about 10 minutes long with some absolutely fabulous dancing by an amazing group out of New Zealand. I think the primary choreographer is the woman you'll see in the beginning with the hat in all black. It's this video that I'm referencing later in this chapter._**

0o0o0o0

A fearful gasp left her lips. She was back in that dark, stone room with that chair and chains. This time was different, though. Danielle was in the chair, chains crossing over her chest and shackles binding her wrists and ankles. Every move she made caused the metal to rattle and the ichor that made the chains slick before smeared on her skin in shades of black and red.

She tried to cry for help but no sound would escape. Her throat was raw, as if she had already screamed until her voice was lost. Things moved in the shadows and the severely darkened room seemed to grow smaller and close in on her. Her eyes shot down to her hands. They ached. They were covered in jagged cuts and bruises. Several fingernails were missing and only the crusty, bloody nail beds remained.

Danielle's lips were chapped and cracked. She could taste blood in her mouth. Her eyes were drawn to her legs. They were bare of clothing and where pale, smooth skin had once been was only cut and ruined flesh. Looking around desperately, tears of pain and anguish rolled down her cheeks in fat drops. _Where are my companions?_ She wondered. _How did I get here?_

A shadow moved to her left and a cry of terror begged to rip from her throat but nothing more than a pained squeak emerged. Dark laughter filled the chamber. It was making her skin crawl. Cruel eyes glittered from the darkness and a voice echoed painfully in that harsh language she somehow knew.

 _"You cannot hide…"_

0o0o0o0

Her eyes snapped open. Her body remained frozen in place for a good minute while she adjusted to her situation. She wasn't chained to a stone chair, her hands were whole and her fingernails were in need of a clipping but completely intact. Her legs were still encased in jeans and the only wound she sported was the one that damned warg had dealt her. They had stopped for a rest a little while ago and she'd fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the balled up blanket she'd pulled from her pack.

Legolas had carried her for a couple hours but had grudgingly let her down to walk on her own after she promised to ask for help if she needed it. Her leg had steadily been feeling better over the last few hours. She barely even felt the pain anymore, though she was still feeling a little sluggish at times. Her pants were falling down on their own whenever she loosened her belt to relieve herself. She was sure that if she saw herself in the mirror, she wouldn't recognize herself. She didn't think she'd been this approximate size since she was 19.

She shook her head to clear it of those thoughts and of the nightmare she'd just woken from. It had been so _real._ Every sensation, even the smell of the rotting flesh, had felt like she was right there. There were no torture devices present, no knives or pliers covered in blood lying in the corner. She'd been utterly alone save for the presence that had stalked Danielle from the shadows. And that voice? It sent a shiver down her spine. How did she understand such abrasive speech? It made her head and ears ache to think of it.

"Are you well, Miss Danielle?" Sam asked quietly from his place a few feet away. He was on watch with Gandalf. She nodded and sat up. She would get no more rest tonight. That was a certainty.

"I'm just fine, Sam," she assured him. "Bad dreams. I… uh… I don't like the dark. I've always been a little scared of it, even when I shouldn't have been."

"The darkness has always been a bit frightful," Gandalf smiled to her. "It is nothing to be ashamed of to be fearful of what it might bring."

"It is when you're fearful of what isn't even there," she muttered in response, adjusting herself so that she was leaning against a rock. She could see Legolas returning from someplace just beyond her sight and gave him a nod. He returned it before going to sit and examine the arrows in his quiver for any damage or decay. "I've always had an active imagination. Sometimes, it gets the best of me."

"I don't much like this dark, neither," Sam gave a little frown. "I'd prefer sleeping out under the sky with the stars."

"As would I," Danielle agreed.

"You have not sung for us in a few days," Gandalf said suddenly. Danielle looked at him in surprise.

"I haven't been too inclined to sing. But I promise to prepare something for when we leave this place. Something we can look forward to," she smiled.

"Could you sing something from one of those nice and slow songs?" Sam asked hopefully. "I could point out the one I'd like to understand!"

"I don't see a problem with that," she laughed softly. _Sam is such a sweet guy,_ she thought fondly. She shifted in place again. Her legs were falling asleep.

It wasn't long before they were all up and walking again. Boromir was walking beside her this time. He asked her how her leg was feeling. She gave a smile and told him she was doing much better. They walked in silence for a short while, avoiding obstacles and climbing over fallen stones and avoiding skeletons. The Gondorian felt a little bit of turmoil rolling inside of him at the fact that she had not really spoken to him since the day before. She was a headstrong woman, something he had not realized before. He liked it. He was not often challenged by women at home.

His sense of honor had always dictated that he help the women he came into contact with. Carrying heavy things, shielding her from harm and frightful things. Danielle didn't seem to like it when they tried to do things for her. She didn't always need to be shielded, as evidenced by the orc she'd encountered shortly after waking from her sickness. He had heard from Legolas and Gimli how the creature had been nearly incapacitated from its encounter with her. His thoughts wandered back to when Aragorn found her.

She had been an unknown, but they were unwilling to just let her die. Aragorn had to help her swallow the water and herbs that he'd mixed for her. She had hallucinated and wept in her half-sleeping state for two days before she had finally crawled away to throw up what her stomach was rejecting. Frodo had been the closest to her when she'd started moving, so he had pulled her hair away from her face. Boromir himself had put her back on the bedroll she'd been resting on.

When Aragorn had tried to ask her questions in those first few moments of wakefulness, everyone had been very tense. No one had known how to react when she began speaking that strange tongue. He'd had his sword drawn to his side, ready to strike if the need arose. Then she passed out again. When the next morning arrived and it was time to leave, they had tied her to the pony's back both to keep moving at a good pace and to make sure that she was bound from harming anyone when she next woke. But she seemed grateful yet fearful of them, if not completely confused. That had been his first inkling that she was no threat to them.

Danielle was such a strange woman, Boromir mused. Even after learning Westron at an incredible pace, after discovering she was not in the lands she had started her journey in, after learning that creatures that did not exist in her home roamed freely here? She had remained calm and accepting of all that she experienced. It was something that he was sure he would not be able to do if their roles were reversed. If he had been thrust into her land and discovered such strange things as the _car_ she had described or the _planes_ or _helicopters_? Such strange and terrifying devices she had detailed for them! He would not have been able to adapt. By the Valar, he could barely tolerate that device that played music! He only made efforts so that he could enjoy her company.

Even with her odd taste in music and strange personality traits, Boromir was finding himself more and more attracted to her. She was nothing he'd ever encountered before and that was more enticing than anything else, if he were honest. However, he'd begun to notice that he elf was showing some interest in her as well. He could not tell if his interest was simply that of a friend or if it were more but he was instantly jealous that she might provide him with any attention that might have gone to the Captain of Gondor.

Still, he could not fault the elf for any feelings he might have towards the woman. She was a light in these days of darkness and he was loathe to leave her behind when the time came. He had been spiraling into darkness with each passing day. He'd been having nightmares about the fall of his city, of his father, of his brother. Each nightmare was accentuated with the hope he would bring if he would but extend his hand and pull the Ring from Frodo's neck. In these dreams, he would have Danielle at his side, an adoring look upon her face. He would claim her lips and her love and her body for his own after banishing the foul orcs and other filth of Mordor from his country forever with the power of the Ring alone. In these dreams she would bear him many children, including a son to whom he would bequeath the Ring when he became of age. He felt a stirring of desire at the thought of his seed quickening in her womb.

Boromir shook his head and returned his attention to the present. Danielle's limp was decidedly better today and she didn't seem to be having trouble with her pack. Although his pride was slightly wounded at doing so, he decided to make peace with her. He longed to talk with her and hear her voice. He longed to make those dreams of her becoming his a reality and the first step was to put his ego at her mercy.

"I wish to extend my apologies for having offended you yesterday," he said quietly. "It was not my intent. I know from our conversations that things are different in your homeland. Women are much more... free spirited and independent than they are here."

Danielle squinted at him through the faint light that was coming from Gandalf's staff. The sincerity on his face satisfied her and she smiled, patting his shoulder.

"I forgive you," she replied. "I've been more irritated lately and that... what did you call it? Warg?"

"Aye, it was a warg," he nodded.

"Well, that warg kind of made me realize just how dangerous it was out here. I've been walking with you all for a little while now and that was the first time that I ever felt like I might actually die here."

Boromir looked confused for a second. "You did not fear death when the orc found you?"

"No, I didn't," she said with a slight frown and a shrug, "It's weird, but I don't remember being afraid at all. I just reacted. When I was 12, I saw this great... story, you could call it, about a woman who worked as an enforcer of the law. She showed women how to defend themselves from an attacker just long enough to get away. It always stuck with me and although I never got into any lessons about defending myself after that, I always tried to remember little things that could help me in a bad situation."

"That is a good thing to remember," he said softly. A thought occurred to him and he decided to broach it carefully. He didn't want to anger her so quickly after making amends. "I wondered... You have never discussed courting in your lands. What is it like? Is it the same as it is here?"

"Courting?" she was genuinely confused. She skirted around a large piece of stone that blocked her way. "Do you mean with _juries_ and judges?"

"What are _juries_?" he asked cautiously. He wasn't sure he liked this foreign word.

"A _jury_ is a group of twelve men and women who are selected from the common people of a city or country to hear _laywers_ , or people who know the laws of the lands, discuss a matter of the law that might be between two people or between a city and a prisoner for example. The civil matters between two people might be a grievance for past wrong doings that one person, the plaintiff, seeks money or property from the other as a form of reconciliation or payment for the deed done against them. The lawful matters between a city or country against a prisoner might be that the prisoner has been accused of a crime and is the defendant. The lawyer that is assigned to him is called the defense. The lawyer that is assigned to prove that he committed the crime he is accused of is called a prosecutor. The jury listens to both sides of the story in either situation and makes a decision on who is telling the truth based on the evidence presented and the arguments given."

"That is... an odd thing for twelve people to do," Boromir admitted after a moment. "Why do these twelve people make this choice? What is their stake in these arguments?"

"They don't have one. They are chosen at random with many others to come and listen to these arguments. Before they can listen to anything, they must answer questions too. If they know anyone from either side of the argument, they cannot be on the jury. It might give one side an advantage over the other. Anyway, the point is to have twelve strangers make the decision because it's more fair to both sides."

"I think I understand," he said hesitantly. This was an interesting idea. Perhaps his father would like to use it? "What are the judges for?"

"Well, a judge is someone who knows the laws and the punishments that are acceptable if the jury decides in favor of the prosecutor, or in favor of the plaintiff if it is a civil matter, the judge will either assign the jury to decide the punishment or will decide it him or herself. Sometimes the jury is given instructions on what punishments are allowed for each crime and that if they decide to convict the prisoner, they will have to choose which punishment fits the crime best."

"I find it amazing that your people trust such things to common men and women," he said after a moment of thought. "Does it work well?"

"For the most part. But I get the feeling that this is not what you meant by courting... is it?" she asked and flushed a little. Danielle could be brainy about some things and clueless about others. This was the norm for her.

"Alas, it is not, though I found it to be a most stimulating subject. When you visit my country, you will have to speak with my father about these things. I believe that he might wish to implement such a system. It would reduce the considerable strain he is under."

"I just might do that," she grinned. He grinned in response. Boromir thought her face was brighter than he'd ever seen it. She was beautiful. "So, what do you mean by courting?"

"How do people where you come from make merry? Become... intimate in their knowledge of each other?" he asked as tactfully as he could think of at that moment. Unbeknownst to them, another set of ears were listening to their conversation with interest.

"Oh, you mean _dating!_ It's very simple. Maybe you guys do the same here," she started. "A lot of times, it starts out with two people meeting and deciding that they like each other. They arrange to go somewhere and do an activity together that might take several hours, such as dancing or eating a meal. They talk and discuss the things that are interesting or important to them. They may meet for breakfast or for dinner. They might take a class where they learn a new skill together, such as painting or golf. If they like each other enough, they may decide to become intimate. Then they might discuss marriage, if that is their desire. Or they may part ways."

"It is common for your people to become intimate before marriage?"

"Very. Some people take many partners before they settle. Some take a new partner every night and have no intention of marrying at all and prefer it that way."

"... And do you prefer it that way?"

Danielle paused for a second as she looked at the man beside her. He paused with her, his eyes searching for something she wasn't sure she could name. Oh, yeah. He was _definitely_ interested in her. If she'd had any doubts before, this last question had washed them away.

"No. I don't prefer it that way. I've been waiting for marriage," she said softly. A pained look flashed on her face for just a second before it was replaced by false cheerfulness. "I'm considered old fashioned for that. Most women my age have been with two or three men in their lives. My friends don't understand it but they respect my decision."

She quietly began walking again and neither spoke. They were approaching a large drop off. Gandalf let his light shine a little brighter and the glistening veins of metal that they'd been seeing more and more frequently as they got deeper into the mines shown even brighter here.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, but in Mithril," Gandalf's voice drifted back to them. They were the last two in the line. Danielle forgot what she might have wanted to say as she stared down into the great chasm before her. It was _amazing._ Silvery metal lined the walls in thick veins and arteries. She felt like they were pulsating, like the mountain itself were alive. It helped to push back some of her paranoia and panic and replace them with wonder.

"Thorin gave Bilbo a shirt made of Mithril," Gandalf mentioned almost casually.

"Oh! That was a kingly gift!" Gimli cried.

"I never told him but its worth was greater than that of the Shire and all that was in it!" he smiled. No one seemed to pay attention to Frodo, who fingered at something under his shirt for a moment with a slightly nervous look.

 _"Mes dieux,"_ she breathed in French as she looked down. It was a full minute later that Boromir had to get her attention so that they could move on. They climbed the narrowest stairs and traversed the thinnest ledges. Danielle had a sudden appreciation for dwarves and their ability to balance and move about in such conditions. She was grateful that her years dancing had given her such intuition about her own center of balance that she rarely needed assistance as they passed through some of the more precarious areas.

After what seemed to be an eternity, they came to a wide arch with three passages. They all seemed to head in the same general direction. The thing was that the left-handed passage went sloping downwards, the right-handed passage climbed upwards and the middle seemed to stay even. The company stopped and their fearless leader, Gandalf, frowned.

"I have no memory of this place," he muttered. He lifted his staff to look for any markings or indications of where they were or where they were to go but found nothing. They all stood around uneasily. Danielle was more than a little restless. She did _not_ want to stay here longer than she had to. It was already mentioned that this was to be a three day journey. One day in utter darkness was too much, if you asked her. It was with a sigh of resignation that Gandalf suggested that they take their rest while he tried to remember the way they were meant to go.

He let his light shine a little brighter so that they might find some places to set up their bedrolls. Most of them set them up against walls. There was a deep well that was situated in this particular area and Danielle eyed Pippin as he seemed to edge closer and closer to it, as though he were drawn to this deep and disturbing pit. A wave of nausea and fear gripped the brunette and without thinking, she grabbed Pippin's arm just as he was about to drop a stone he'd found into the well.

"Don't," she whispered. The naïve hobbit looked at her and recognized the fear on her face. She wasn't sure why but she felt that him tossing that stone was going to bring something horrible to them.

"Why not?" he whispered back in confusion. He was simply curious about how far down the well went.

"Just... don't. Please, Pip," she replied, looking around. No one had noticed them yet. She turned her eyes upon him pleadingly. He looked a little contrite and nodded before carefully setting the stone far from the edge of the well. With a deep breath that told volumes of how grateful she was, they went to the little nest of bedrolls and blankets they'd nearly finished setting up. Pippin and Merry snuggled up to her sides as usual and she smiled but remained sitting up. She promised them that she was going to lay down soon. She just needed to sit for a little while.

She pulled out the phone she'd kept off the last couple of days and turned it on. It vibrated as the Apple symbol glowed on the screen and then the desert scene loaded. Using her thumb to login, she pulled up a video she'd saved on the phone from her previous iPhone and the one before that. It was a recording of the last time she'd performed. She stared at the still on her screen and then popped the earbuds into her ears, turning the volume on low. She'd done a little comeback for her dance group three years ago. She'd been part of nearly every dance routine and had choreographed the whole thing. It had won them the championship. After that, she'd gone back into retirement. Rhianna's _Bitch Better Have My Money_ started playing and she watched herself from a front row perspective. She was dressed in all black with a white hat, obviously the head of the group in this shot. Her thick curly hair spilled about her shoulders from under the hat, even with it being tied into a pony tail at the back of her head.

It wasn't long before Gary's appearance made her inhale sharply. He was part of the group and she'd known that when she went back but that didn't lessen the pain she felt every time she saw him. His almost white blond hair spiked on top of his head with so much gel that no matter how he flung his head about, it always returned to its previous appearance. The rest of the hair below the crown of his head was closely cropped to his head. Danielle had always admired the amount of passion he put into each performance. It was what had attracted her to him when he joined their group.

Even when she assigned him to be the one to lip sync to the lyrics, "I know, I know, I know you want me! I'm just a pig inside a human body!" he'd made it his own, though he knew it was a jab at him. And the song _Minute Man_ by Missy Elliot immediately after was a jab at him, too. He still made it all look so passionate, no matter what. Like he intended for it all to be about him and he didn't care. She shook her head. The ache that always accompanied thoughts of Gary was still strong as ever. She rubbed her right hip absently over the scar that she hated thinking about. The scar that was entirely his fault.

"What is this?" Legolas asked curiously from above her. She was startled and jerked her hand to her chest. She hadn't heard him come up behind her. She was too engrossed in her own thoughts. Looking at the video that had just finished, she blushed a little. One thing about being in a dance group was that the attention was shared. Being the choreographer, to her, meant that you were just managing things. In almost every performance that they'd ever had, she'd had them credit it as a group effort. It was only because of heavy investigation by some of the more tenacious clients out there that she'd even been recognized as the primary choreographer in the first place.

"It's a _video,_ " she told him. The English word was new to him. "Think of it as being a memory that someone was able to share. Just like the music I play from here, I can play it any time I like."

"And what is this a... memory of?" he asked as he crouched down to get a better look. She was amazed at how he was able to balance in the small space behind her. She'd be wobbling all over the place. Returning her attention to the screen she gave it a small smile before pulling one of the buds out of her ear and offering it to him, wiping at the soft plastic before he took it.

"I used to dance with a group called the Royals. We would create dances and teach them to the rest of the group and we'd perform in contests with other groups. This is a recording of the last time I danced with them. It's a couple of years old but it was the dance that won the Royals the contest," she explained, ensuring that she used the same line she gave to others. She didn't want to take all the credit. "I have to warn you: the music we danced to is nothing like what I've let you all listen to. I've tried to keep the music sweet and gentle because you all are not used to the kinds of music I am. It's going to be loud, the drum beat is going to be the strongest and the lyrics might not make any sense to you."

"I will attempt to adjust to this change, then," he said after a moment. He placed the bud in his ear and she made sure to turn the volume down to a level he would find acceptable. Before she started the video, she decided that they should move away from Merry and Pippin. If either of them woke from the fitful sleep they'd found themselves in, they'd be insisting on listening and watching too. She had enough attention on her at the moment. Once they had settled down again, they were only a few feet away from the Company. Legolas looked down at the rectangular device and the image that had the circle with two lines in the middle with interest. Danielle looked to see if he was ready and he nodded. She tapped the circle with two lines and suddenly the image changed. There was a large group of people standing in rows, awaiting something. Then the music came.

 _This music is foul!_ Legolas thought with a slight grimace. _That she calls it music in the first place is abhorrent. But her dancing! It is... fascinating. She looks so happy. And sensual._ Legolas's eyes darted over to the woman. She was staring at the video wistfully. The image of her face twisted into one of desire coursed across the screen as she moved with other women dressed the same as her. She moved her chest and her hips in ways he'd never seen moved before. It caused his heart to twist in his chest in a most pleasant manner.

"I've not seen such dancing before," he murmured to her. His eyes were glued to the screen and she glanced at him. His expression was a mixture of emotions. Wonder, surprise, and... lust? Her eyes must have been tricking her.

"The dance and the music styles are called hip hop. It's my favorite style of dancing," she told him softly. Once the video finished, she slid it over to another video that had some research she'd done on ballet for another contest that she'd helped them with and showed it to him. "This is classical and ballet. Those women? They train from the time they are small children to be able to stand on the tips of their toes like that and I've done it. It's very, _very_ painful. I decided to do hip hop dancing instead because I enjoyed the chaos some of the movements have."

For the next two hours, she showed him various dancing styles she had saved on the phone. She'd researched break dancing, traditional African tribal dances, various kinds of salsa and samba, rumba and bollywood, flamenco, tango, swing dancing, belly dancing, mambo, reggaeton, even the Macarena. The one that had noticeably made him blush was the example of pole dancing she had. He questioned the need for such dancing and she explained that there were places where men would watch women dancing with the poles while they disrobed. He asked that she not repeat such a thing to the men of this world in a very quiet and strained voice.

"Your world, your dancing, your music... It is all quite wonderful," he said finally. "I am sorry that you have been taken from there. Being here must be difficult."

Danielle didn't answer. As much as she missed her family, her world, she was more worried about how being here had changed her. Initially, she was concerned with survival and when she'd be rescued. When she discovered she was, as her mother's favorite movie would say, _not in Kansas anymore,_ she'd been stunned but she hadn't freaked out. It actually bothered her that she wasn't more afraid of her situation, of what she'd experienced. She was _too_ calm about this. It left a sinking feeling in her chest that maybe something more was going on than she knew.

She smiled at him before she got up and returned to her place between Merry and Pippin. She laid down after turning the phone off to preserve the battery. They'd depleted it quite a bit and it would be days before they reached any sunlight. Stowing the device and curling up underneath the blanket, she sighed and tried to sleep.

0o0o0o0

The darkness in the stone room was oppressive and filled the trembling woman with terror. She was still in the chair, chained and wounded. But things had changed again. This time, when she opened her mouth, sound came out. But it didn't sound anything like her. It didn't sound like the alto of Danielle Barr. It was a sweeter, though strained sound. And her words were not English or Westron. It was that melodic language that Legolas and Aragorn were fond of using when they did not wish others to know what they were saying.

 _"I will give you nothing,"_ she found herself saying. She was not in control of this nightmare. She stared defiantly into the darkness. She could feel the hatred in her own expression.

 _"All you must do is give us the truth and your torment will end. You will be given all that your heart desires,"_ a silky and baritone voice replied.

 _"There is nothing that you could offer me,"_ she spat.

 _"Nothing? Not even the one you cried out for? The one you pleaded to save you?"_

 _"You will not touch him!"_ she paled and her voice faltered. Danielle didn't know what was worse: not knowing what was happening or not knowing if this person she apparently cared for was safe.

 _"He remains in your realm, does he not? It would be a simple matter to retrieve him -"_

 _"You will NOT touch him!"_ she cried in a stronger voice. _"I would rather die before I tell you anything! I would rather perish a thousand times in agony than to help Sauron!"_

There was a silence that followed that declaration. Then he responded to her with a smile apparent in his voice, _"So be it. We will have what we seek. And we will enjoy wresting it from your lips!"_

A figure approached and in its hand glinted a a jagged blade that was already crusted with dried blood. The blade was raised up high and swung down to -

0o0o0o0

Danielle's jaw was clenched tightly in preparation for a blow and Gandalf's shaking her awake caused her to gasp for a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Her eyes were wide, panicked and searching for the danger she'd been so sure was about to strike. Gandalf gave her a quizzical look and moved on to shaking Pippin awake. The wizard had dismissed her nightmare the night before as something that was related to her fear of the darkness.

Now, he suspected it was something more. Tonight, she had whispered something in her sleep as he approached. It made him frown because the single word she had uttered was one that she should not have known the meaning of. _"Daro!"_ she had whispered fearfully. It made the wizard wonder how she could have known the Sindarin word for stop.

"It's this way," he declared as he pointed to the right-hand passage.

"He's remembered!" Merry exclaimed happily as he gathered his things.

"No, but the air doesn't smell quite so foul this way. When in doubt, Master Meriadoc, always follow your nose!"

Danielle was too shaken from her nightmare to even think about laughing at how much Gandalf sounded like Toucan Sam. She was busy concentrating on packing up her blanket with a nonchalance she didn't feel. Her hands trembled slightly from the remnants of the blood-chilling terror she'd experienced. Her fingertips still ached in memory of the fingernails that had been torn out by an unseen tormentor. She could remember the pain from fresh cuts and welts that she knew had never been made on her waking body. It had all been so _real._

Once everyone had finished packing up, they started upwards. Gandalf had mentioned that it was about time that they started climbing up anyway. Danielle walked just ahead of Boromir, who was taking up the rear again. They both remained silent. The Gondorian Captain seemed to be steeped in his own thoughts and the brunette was mulling over what the dream could have meant. _It has to be because of the darkness. I've always had such an imagination and that one nightmare got turned into a creepy freak show because we've been stuck underground. That has to be it. But I've never felt so scared before. And that name that I said in the dream? I felt like I was going to piss myself even as I was saying it. I'm so confused. What the hell is wrong with me?_

Danielle nearly started when Boromir finally came out of his own little funk and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him gratefully. He'd been making an effort to learn more about her world and about her customs and the more she spoke with him, the more this warm feeling grew in her chest. She was very fond of the slightly older warrior. _Slightly? Who am I kidding? He's nearly forty. That means at least a ten year age difference. But that's not too big a difference,_ she mused. _Hugh Hefner regularly beds women that are a third or a quarter of his age. I think I heard he was getting married to a 20 year old. Isn't he 90? How does date night work for those two?_ A comical scene erupted in her head at that moment of a blonde with big breasts and a skimpy French maid outfit doing shots of Purple Nurples at the bar while Hefner was in his traditional bedroom robe drinking a mixed cocktail of Ensure and Jack Daniels. _Party on, Hef. Party on,_ she thought with a mental chuckle.

"Are you well, my lady?" he asked softly. She nodded back to him tiredly.

"Just bad dreams. It'll get better when we're back in the sunlight," she assured him.

"Aye, it will be good to breathe the air outside this tomb," he muttered darkly. "I would have us be gone from here with haste."

"I would have been happy to take another way, too," she smiled. He was about to say something when they came into a grand and open space. Ahead of them, Gandalf looked at a pillar and smiled.

"I think I can risk a little more light," he said with a little bit of merriment in his voice. "Behold the dwarven city of Dwarrowdelf!"

Danielle had never seen anything like the sight that greeted her when the light on Gandalf's staff increased in brightness and range. They were in a massive hall lined with thick, square columns that were carved with geometric patterns along the bases and each column reached hundreds of feet in the air to hold the great stone ceiling high above their heads.

"Short statures give birth to grand imaginations and works of art," she whispered in wonder and from in front of her she heard Gimli puff up in pride. He came and grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the nearest column. He began to explain the meanings behind some of the carvings and started telling her all about the city's amazing history. They both began to chat animatedly, keeping their voices at a low level as Gandalf pointedly reminded them that there was much further to go before they would reach the bridge of Khazad-dûm. They decided to make camp after a while. It was a long time coming and most of the company was grateful for the rest.

As they lay in the darkness, Danielle was uneasy about the idea of going to sleep again. Two nightmares back-to-back were more than enough, thank you very much. She volunteered for the watch and got herself into a comfortable position. She nearly jumped when Sam began to speak.

"There must have been a mighty crowd of dwarves here at one time and every one of them busier than badgers for five hundred years to make all this! What did they do it all for? They didn't live in these darkesome holes surely?"

"These are not holes!" Gimli replied. "This is the great realm and city of Dwarrowdelf. And of old it was not darksome, but full of light and splendor, as is still remembered in our songs!"

He stood up and his voice rumbled deeply, echoing into the air.

 _"The world was young, the mountains green_

 _No stain yet on the Moon was seen,_

 _No words were laid on stream or stone_

 _When Durin woke and walked alone!_

 _He named the nameless hills and dells;_

 _He drank from yet untasted wells;_

 _He stooped and looked in Mirrormere,_

 _And saw a crown of stars appear,_

 _As gems upon a silver thread,_

 _Above the shadow of his head._

 _The world was fair, the mountains tall,_

 _In Elder Days before the fall_

 _Of mighty kings in Nargothrond_

 _And Gondolin, who now beyond_

 _The Western Seas have passed away:_

 _The world was fair in Durin's Day._

 _A king he was on carven throne_

 _In many-pillared halls of stone_

 _With golden roof and silver floor,_

 _And runes of power upon the door._

 _The light of sun and star and moon_

 _In shining lamps of crystal hewn_

 _Undimmed by cloud or shade of night_

 _There shone for ever fair and bright._

 _There hammer on the anvil smote,_

 _There chisel clove, and graver wrote;_

 _There forged was blade, and bound was hilt;_

 _The delver mined, the mason built._

 _There beryl, pearl, and opal pale,_

 _And metal wrought like fishes' mail,_

 _Buckler and corslet, axe and sword_

 _And shining spears were laid in hoard._

 _Unwearied then were Durin's folk;_

 _Beneath the mountains music woke:_

 _The harpers harped, the minstrels sang,_

 _And at the gates the trumpets rang._

 _The world is grey, the mountains old,_

 _The forge's fire is ashen-cold;_

 _No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:_

 _The darkness dwells in Durin's halls;_

 _The shadow lies upon his tomb_

 _In Moria, in_ _Khazad-dûm._

 _But still the sunken stars appear_

 _In dark and windless Mirrormere;_

 _There lies his crown in water deep,_

 _Till Durin wakes again from sleep."_

"That was beautiful," Danielle said quietly. Gimli smiled and nodded slightly before he sat back down to rest more comfortably. There was comfortable chatter among them for a short while. Then, they began to drift off into sleep. Danielle kept her watch and was slightly surprised when Frodo came to sit next to her. She welcomed his presence with a smile.

"How are you this eve?" he asked quietly. Danielle was mildly surprised that he was taking the initiative to speak with her but pleased as well. He often was quiet around her and had been more watchful of her than anything. He was still kind when they did interact but it was rare.

"Tired. This darkness that surrounds us has given me nightmares these last two nights. I don't wish to sleep until we are outside again and beneath the stars," she admitted. They sat quietly together for a while. Danielle decided to ask him the question she'd tried to ask what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Where are we going? What is it that you all are doing, Frodo? I'm just so confused. I feel like every time I ask this question, someone is trying to distract me or something and I just want to understand..."

The hobbit next to her was quiet for a long while. He looked into the darkness and seemed to be weighing his thoughts and options carefully before he turned to her with determined eyes. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace made of silver chain and from the chain dangled a golden ring. In the pale light cast from Gandalf's staff, she could see the band of gold glinting and shining. Frodo pulled the necklace from around his neck and held it out to her. Somehow, she felt like this was a test. Slowly, she held out her hand and he placed the jewelry into her palm.

Danielle turned the ring and necklace over and over in the pale light. She examined it carefully and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Frodo give her a tense and unwavering stare. She didn't see what was so special about this trinket. She handed it back and shrugged. The dark haired hobbit replaced the necklace to its rightful spot and hid the trinket back beneath his shirt. She saw Legolas standing in the shadows with his shoulders tense and an inscrutable look on his face. When had he gotten up? Hadn't he been sleeping? She shook her head.

"So? A wedding ring? Did it belong to your father or something?" she asked in confusion. Frodo's eyes were wide and surprised. Then a smile broke upon his face. _I must have passed the test,_ she thought. "Frodo?"

"It is the reason we are traveling, Lady Danielle. I cannot tell you the exact reasons or details because it is a matter of safety - yours and ours - and it is a matter best left unspoken. Would you be satisfied with that?" he spoke softly and he placed a gentle hand on hers. She was still confused about how a ring could be enough reason to brave mutant wolves and horrendous weather conditions and three days of utter darkness but she could accept that it was important. She nodded. Frodo's face went from questioning to relieved in an instant. He patted her hand and Legolas came to relieve them of the watch. Danielle couldn't help but notice that the elf's eyes remained on her for a long while after she laid down to rest.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Thanks to my reviewers Puffgirl1952 the 2nd and Kiki. And to PhoenixUniverse, who reviewed chapter 6 literally one minute before I was about to post this. I was quite pleased by that, thank you very much. I appreciate your opinions. Enjoy!_**

0o0o0o0

The first thing Danielle did when she woke from the dreamless sleep she'd slipped into was to check her leg. She was feeling a little paranoid for thinking it but the fact that it didn't hurt _at all_ was freaking her out. She'd been mauled by that warg only a few days ago. It should still be tender, swollen and not at all pain free. She waited until she was sure that no one could see her before unwrapping the bandage. She had her phone with her and turned on the flashlight app so she could see the damaged flesh. The bandage stuck to her leg where dried blood and pus had seeped out of the wound. She prepared herself for the worst, except... her leg was smooth. Not a single blemish, not one tiny cut. And as she ran her hand along the skin in an attempt to find some kind of evidence of torn flesh, her hand came back covered with the hairs she'd had no time in the last week and a half to shave off.

With a quick look over her shoulder to make sure no one was looking, she pulled the pant leg she was swimming in up to her hip. One hand holding the light, the other running all over her leg, she was astonished to see every pass of her hand yielded more of the short, ugly hairs. Blowing on her leg caused a flurry of the hairs to float away in the air. _What the hell is going on?_

Unsure of if she was going mad or if this was really happening, she yanked off her coat and lifted her arm. There was a tuft of dark hair beneath. With the phone now in her awkwardly raised hand, she used a single finger to slide over the hair... and actually _felt_ as the follicles pulled free from where they normally grew until the skin there was bare. There weren't any indications that hair ever grew there. It was smooth and free of even the usual odor of sweat. She quickly repeated the process on her other underarm and stared at the hairs that fell to the stone floor dumbfounded. As if on autopilot, she lifted the pants leg on her other side and brushed at the hairs until they were all gone. Even the sparse hairs on her arms were easily brushed away. She would wait until she were somewhere more private to check her lady bits.

She restored her pants and coat to their previous positions and sat in a stunned silence. _Cancer. It must be cancer,_ she thought frantically. _Some cancer patients lose their body hair when it's in their thyroids or in the glands that produce hormones before they ever get chemo or radiation therapy, right? So, that's what's going on. I have cancer. Maybe the wacky hormones from the cancer caused the wound to heal up fast or something._ She tried to convince herself of these things but she knew she was in denial. She was changing. Danielle had no idea how but she was changing. _Oh, gods! What is happening to me?_

Quietly, she turned off the phone and wrapped the crusty bandage back around her leg, shrugged the coat back on and took a deep breath. She walked back to where the Company was grouped. Legolas and Gandalf were already rousing the others from sleep. She received a curious look from the pair. Danielle ignored them and went straight to her pack and stuffed her blanket it. She faked a limp. She didn't want to draw attention to herself now. They had to get out of these mines and if anyone discovered this new development, she feared they would leave her behind to rot. Danielle looked at Boromir, who was already giving her a very interested stare. Her eyes then slid over to Legolas. He was helping Aragorn to pack his things but his eyes would glance her way every so often.

 _How am I supposed to hide the fact that I'm losing my hair from these guys? Either Boromir or Legolas are always talking to me and... oh! Pippin and Merry! They'll notice something's not right, too. Oh, gods! What do I do? I can't even tell if I'm dying or if I'm just stressing out over something that could mean absolutely nothing!_ Danielle's thoughts went in circles like this as they continued walking through the halls at an even but slightly hurried pace. She was disturbed from her thoughts when Gimli gave a cry of horror and darted forward. Gandalf called after him but it was for naught. The dwarf had found the only light in the darkness that didn't belong to Gandalf's staff and had hurried forward. The rest of them followed quickly.

Danielle was the last one in the chamber. It was lit by a single shaft of light from far above, where the sun was shining through a hole carved into the ceiling. It lit up a stone carved into the shape of a tomb. Runes lined the smooth marble and Gandalf read from them easily. Gimli sobbed noisily beside the tomb, one of his hands grasping the edge tightly.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria. He is dead, then. It is as I feared."

The brunette had often heard from Gimli about his cousin Balin. He had been a good friend to Frodo's uncle Bilbo and had been a sturdy and intelligent dwarf. Based off of descriptions that had been given by the tales of the hobbits and by the dwarf that mourned his passing, he would have been someone she truly would have wished to meet. She stepped forward and rested a comforting hand on his armored shoulder. He quickly raised on of his to grasp it tightly. Danielle was stunned by the strength of his grip but said nothing.

"We must move on. We cannot linger," Legolas murmured to Aragorn as Gandalf picked up a cracking and dust covered volume from the hands of a skeletal dwarf that leaned against the tomb. He'd handed his hat and staff to Pippin to hold while he conducted his little investigation. He opened the book slowly, dust and rubble falling from the pages and the cracked binding.

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin. We cannot get out. The end comes. The ground shakes. Drums... Drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out," he read the haunting last words of he dwarves and Danielle looked around the chamber with a tightness in her heart at the realization that whatever or whoever had done this was likely still around. Her eye caught movement by a well and she looked to Pippin in horror as he twisted an arrow that was peeking from the chest of a dead dwarf that sat upon it, covered in armor. The head wobbled precariously. Gandalf chose that moment to read the last part of the record aloud, "They are coming."

With a terrible crash, the dwarf's head fell from its web-covered body and fell down the well. Pippin jumped back in fright. The whole Company tensed and stared in apprehension at the rest of the corpse and chain and bucket that were attached, as it fell and made such a racket all the way down. Pippin jumped and trembled at every tiny crash and splash that it made. His eyes closed at the last little bit and when silence came shortly after, for a long moment all in the chamber held their breaths. When nothing happened, many sighs of relief were released.

Gandalf strode forward angrily, slamming the breaking book closed. If thunder could have a face, it would have had the face of Gandalf at that moment.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" he cried as he snatched his staff and hat back from the hobbit's grasp. He looked extremely contrite for his actions. Just as Gandalf had turned away, a sound like hammers and booming was heard in the distance. Danielle's breath caught and a flash of something terrible appeared in her mind. Almost like a vision. It slammed into her so hard that she had trouble keeping herself in her place. An image of a big, grey misshapen creature breaking through the doors that were currently open. She could see the entire battle clearly, as though it had already happened. Orcs would pour in first and then the creature. It would take out its own kind in its attempts to kill them.

"Orcs!" Legolas cried as the sounds of chattering and gibbering reached their ears. Boromir ran to the doors and looked out briefly. He grabbed the door and was busy trying to pull it closed when two arrows sank into the wood beside his head with two audible _thunks!_

"They have a cave troll," Boromir said dryly with a hint of sarcasm as he and Aragorn managed to close the doors. Legolas was tossing them weapons and things to bar the door while Gandalf, the hobbits and Danielle stood back. Gimli climbed upon Balin's tomb and brandished his ax a fervor.

"Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!" he crowed. Danielle turned and gave him an incredulous look.

"No, no, no! _Don't_ let them come! There's more than just a dwarf drawing breath here! _I'm_ drawing breath and I'd like to keep it that way! Please, let this be a bad dream or a joke," Danielle moaned as Sam whispered that perhaps she should pull out her knife. She had nothing else to defend herself with. She gripped the handle of the blade and held it like the swords that the hobbits were holding - blade away from her body and ready to stab at anything that came her way. She trembled and was pulled by Gandalf to the very back of their group.

"Stay here," he commanded and she swallowed thickly before nodding. She truly felt the terror she should have felt when that first orc had found her, the terror of the wargs, the terror of the Watcher in the water compounding on her now. She felt a wave of nausea hit her as she heard pounding on the door. It was that image from her head, that vision coming to life. She swallowed again, this time to keep the scant breakfast they'd had an eternity ago in her stomach. Legolas and Aragorn loosed arrows through the holes that the orcs made in the door and squeals of pain floated through. Then, the door crashed open and orcs flooded the room. Gandalf and the hobbits leaped into the fray with a cry.

The first of the foul creatures that rushed her way gave a shriek and raised its sword to slash at her. With a cry of surprise, she fell back and it missed. She ducked, bobbed and weaved her way from the sickening stench and horrible creature. She completely forgot the knife in her hand until it grabbed her by the throat and prepared to gut her. She plunged the blade deep into its eye before it got the chance. The rotting smells that came from it while it was alive had made her ill. The scent of the blood that dribbled down its head and onto her jeans made her want to throw up. Danielle didn't have the chance to dwell on that for long.

She pulled the knife from its head after struggling with it briefly. Then, she turned to find another orc was coming for her and without thinking, she dropped down and stabbed it in the foot. It howled and she pulled the knife free with a _squelch!_ She watched in horror as it raised its blade to retaliate. An arrow suddenly appeared in its temple and it fell to the ground. Danielle looked up to see Legolas was already taking out another orc. Warmth radiated through her chest at the realization that he was looking out for her.

The crashing of the creature Boromir had called a cave troll made her desire to be sick return in full force. She ducked under swinging blades and shrieking monsters as she tried to find a corner that wasn't currently being attacked by hideous creatures. She had not managed to find one such place and she snatched up the gnarled sword of one of those foul creatures for protection. She was entirely useless here.

When the troll threw Boromir into a wall, she gasped and started forward. She ducked as one of the orcs spotted her and swung at her head. Danielle thrust the sword forward and wanted to be sick when she saw the black blood that poured from its chest. She pulled it out and it stumbled forward again, trying to take her down with it. Her next thrust was in its throat. It gurgled and fell. She turned in time to see Aragorn's sword had been thrown into the orc that had threatened the dazed Boromir's life. He looked at the Captain and nodded before turning to levy his attentions on another creature.

Boromir seemed to shake himself and stood up. He began fighting again and Danielle suddenly found herself the center of attention for a rather disgusting orc, even by the standards of what she'd already seen. It had escaped the notice of the others; the cave troll had set its sights on Frodo and it had managed to pierce his side with the spear Aragorn had just used to keep it back. She took a step to the left and it mirrored her. To the right, another mirrored action. It lunged at her and with a startled cry, she backed away. She tried to use the sword she'd been holding but it was knocked away before it could be of any real use.

Her wrist ached from the pain of having it twisted in an unnatural angle when she lost that sword but the real pain came when the orc sank its blade into her left shoulder as she tried to move out of the way. Her attention had been drawn to the horrified cry of 'Frodo!' It had been aiming for her heart. A scream of pain tore from her lips. The orc grinned with sharp teeth that reminded her of a shark's eternal grin. It pulled the blade out and raised it to behead her when a long, thin blade that glowed blue suddenly erupted through its chest. Gandalf stood behind the dying creature with a glare to the foul beast and pulled his sword, Glamdring, from it with a quick movement that stunned the brunette. The old man was quicker than she thought.

Danielle sank down the ground and put a hand over the gushing wound. _I'm going to die here,_ she thought in terror. _I'm going to die in this dark, deplorable tomb because I'm so useless! Why am I even here? I should be at home, going to work in the call center, helping people over the phone, eating macaroni and cheese for dinner. Screw the dieting! I should be eating chocolate by the truckload! When I get home, I don't think I'll give two shits about eating right. I'll eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just need to live until then._

Gandalf knelt beside her, pulled the coat off her shoulder and pressed his hand over her wound with a grim look on his face. Danielle didn't miss it.

"Did he hit something important?" she asked warily, feeling lightheaded already.

"No. But orc blades are laced with poison. We must get you to Lothlórien with haste! We do not have the means to treat this wound fully here," he told her as he bound the wound with strips of cloth he tore from his own robes. They didn't have time to go searching through packs for what few medical supplies they had.

"Frodo? How is he? I heard his name called and was afraid he'd been hurt," she asked, wincing as the strip was tightened. The edges of the wound burned.

"He was not hurt, though it is only by the grace of his uncle's gift! But we cannot linger here any longer. Come! We will tend to this wound better when we are in safety and peace," he told her as he pulled her to a standing position with surprising strength. Danielle swayed slightly but managed to right herself. They fled into the halls again and this time, there was a sound of a great number of feet rushing towards them. She looked up and her eyes widened as the orcs and goblins came pouring out of holes in the ceiling and crawled like massive insects down the great pillars she had once admired.

She was pulled back into the center of the circle that they made, along with Frodo. She was pale and the hobbit grabbed her hand to comfort her. The foul creatures surrounded them and cackled and preened at the kill that was to come. But a great sound of thunder and a roar from behind them made them step back. Another roar came. Their would-be killers scattered in fear. Danielle felt bile rise up in her throat. An image of flame and shadow rose to mind. She could almost feel the heat from the demon that had yet to bear down upon them.

"What new devilry is this?" Boromir asked with his sword drawn, a look of horror on his face. All was silent for a moment before Gandalf finally responded.

"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world," he responded lowly. Danielle was standing behind Legolas and Boromir. The way the elf's entire body tensed and his head slowly turned to look at the wizard was very telling. He was terrified. She'd never seen even an ounce of fear in him during this whole ordeal but now? What ever a Balrog was, it was enough to make this fearless warrior tremble.

"This foe is beyond any of you... Run!"

Danielle didn't need to be told twice. She felt a surge of adrenaline and ran with the rest of the group as fast as her legs could carry her. Her heart pounded and she could feel the poison in the wound spreading faster. She'd have to trust in the old man's word that they would be able to do something for her in Lothlórien. They found a small doorway and Gandalf led them through.

"Quickly!" he cried. Behind her, Danielle heard, "Lead them on Aragorn! The bridge is near! Do as I say! Swords are of no more use here!"

A roar that was much closer, and entirely worthy of the tiny dribble of pee that escaped her bladder, sounded behind them. The place had begun to tremble and shake with the footsteps of doom that followed behind. Boromir was running so hard that he nearly fell off the ledge of a missing set of stairs. Legolas pulled him back and they both fell to the ground. She followed Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry as they descended another way and was followed closely by the others. When they reached a part of the staircase that was missing, Legolas leaped across.

"Gandalf!" he cried and motioned for the wizard to follow. He did so quickly, the elf grabbing hold of him to make sure he did not fall into the chasm below. Next came Boromir with Merry and Pippin in his grasp. Then Aragorn threw Sam, whom Boromir caught easily. The twang of a bow was heard as the elf returned fire upon the orcs that were loosing arrows upon them. Gimli was the next to leap. Initially, Aragorn had moved to toss him

"No one tosses a dwarf!" he groused loudly as he made the leap himself. Danielle would have laughed at the elf grabbing the dwarf's beard to pull him back from certain death if she wasn't so fearful of the heights she was about to traverse herself. Aragorn didn't ask her, he just picked her up and threw her across as he had Sam. She let out a yelp of fear and pain when she was caught by Legolas. Her shoulder ached so badly!

It was at that moment that the stairs had begun to crumble even more. Aragorn and Frodo backed up slightly to escape the widening gap. Their route was blocked suddenly by falling debris. A large piece of the ceiling crashed down upon the other side of the stairs and suddenly they were just a pillar of stone that was swaying on cracked foundations.

"Frodo!" Danielle gasped, a hand over her mouth. She'd just started to get to know the hobbit a little better and now he might die right before her eyes. The stone steps they were huddled on swayed slightly. Aragorn cried out for the hobbit to lean forward with them and with a groaning shudder, the stairs fell forward and crashed into the stone they stood upon. Both made it into the waiting arms of their comrades.

"To the bridge of Khazad-dûm! Fly!" Gandalf called and they all ran as fast as their feet could carry them. Legolas was the first across the bridge, followed closely by the rest of them. Danielle had fallen behind. The bandage that Gandalf had made on her shoulder was soaked through with blood and her coat was sopping wet. She was pale from exertion and blood loss. Gandalf was just behind her and as she turned to reach for him, he had turned to look behind at the demon that pursued them.

A wall of fire had sprung up behind them and the heat left the young woman gasping for breath. The wizard pushed her forward.

"Flee! You can do nothing here now, Lady Danielle! Flee!" he yelled and she stumbled towards the thin bridge. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Terror was all she knew. She ignored her fear of heights as she ran into the outreached arms of Boromir, who gave her a half hug and pulled her back while they awaited Gandalf to finish traversing the bridge. But he did not move from his place once he reached the middle. He turned around, brandishing his sword and his staff. Danielle looked to the wall of fire that had been behind them and felt as though her heart would stop completely.

There was a beast made of flame and shadow standing before her, just as she had envisioned. It stood so tall that she had to crane her neck to look at it. Horns like a bull crowned a head that looked like some bastardized skull of human and animal origin. A flaming sword and whip were grasped in its hands. Fire burned from its very body. She fell to her knees and stared as it took one step after another on cloven feet towards the bridge, towards Gandalf.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf declared with a deep glower on his face.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried.

"I am a servant of the secret fire, Weilder of the flame of Arnor! Dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!"

The Balrog roared and struck down against Gandalf with its sword. It shattered upon impact with Glamdring. Another bellow issued from the dark creature.

"Go back to the Shadow!" Gandalf growled through clenched teeth. The Balrog brandished its whip. In response, Gandalf lifted his sword and his staff with a great cry, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

He brought the staff down upon the stone and a bright, blue light flashed. The terrible beast took a step forward onto the bridge at that moment, to strike down the kindly wizard that had been so sweet and helpful to the young woman, and the bridge collapsed underneath his weight. He plunged into the chasm below and Danielle gave a sigh of relief when Gandalf turned to follow them. A cry of horror left her just a second later when the flaming whip rebounded up and wrapped around his ankle. He was dragged back and lost his staff and sword as he clung to the side of the bridge.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried as he ran forward to assist the old man. Boromir caught him and prevented him from completing his task. The old man struggled for a moment before he seemingly gave up and looked at them with deep meaning in his eyes.

"Fly, you fools!" he muttered so loudly it was heard by all. Then he let go. She covered her mouth to stifle the sob that left it.

"No!" Frodo cried and struggled against the Gondorian Captain. Danielle was lifted under her arms by Legolas; Aragorn seemed to be stunned in place for a moment before he finally followed behind the rest of them.

When they reached the sunlight, she was too stunned to move from where the elf had gently set her. Merry was holding Pippin as he wept on his side. Boromir was holding Gimli back while he cried out in rage and frustration. He wanted to go back into the mines and take his vengeance. Legolas could hardly believe what had just transpired. It was only the dampness on his palm that distracted him enough from the grief that was filling his heart. He looked at the blood on his hand and then to the woman he'd just set on the stone moments before. Danielle was bleeding from the shoulder. What's more, he was stunned to see that her appearance had changed slightly. Her dark curly hair now had several streaks of silver-blonde running through it. He had heard of mortals' hair turning silver or white from fear but he'd never seen it himself.

Stepping over to her, he gently pulled back the darkened material of her coat. It was soaked with blood and her flesh was trembling and pale, covered in sweat. He moved the coat back and saw the grey strips of cloth that were soaked through with dark red. She didn't seem to notice his investigating hands as he pulled the cloth back and blanched at the dark tendrils that reached out from the wound. She'd been poisoned by an orc blade. This made their need for haste even more dire.

"Legolas! Get them up." The elf looked back at Aragorn.

"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir admonished.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs! We need to reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli! Get them up!" Aragorn replied with passion. Although he wished to grieve, he had to be strong. They needed him. The ranger took notice of Legolas still kneeling before the woman. She'd been nothing but kind and had never complained, so seeing her with streaks of silver-blonde hair amidst her dark curls made his heart twist in sympathy. _The Balrog must have been too much for her,_ he thought sadly. But it was the red that covered the elf's fingers as he pressed against her shoulder that caught his attention the most.

"What is this?" he asked as he examined the wound the silent woman bore. "You were stabbed by an orc blade? When?" he demanded. She gave him a tired look.

"In the tomb. Gandalf said that we would get help in Lothlórien. That's what he said," she muttered softly. "Why did he have to fall? Why didn't I say something?"

"There is nothing you could have done," Legolas said softly. "But we must put a fresh bandage on this wound. It is bleeding too much for us to move with haste like this."

Aragorn frowned at her words but pulled out some of the shredded cloth he'd made from the pants she'd had. He folded it over carefully and used the soaked binding Gandalf had made there to keep it in its place. He pulled out the last stores of aethelas and chewed it before shoving it into the wound. He didn't have the skill to remove the poison but they would in Lothlórien. Taking her pack and shouldering it himself, Legolas pulled her to her feet and when she swayed dangerously, he picked her up bridal style. She wasn't going to be able to walk with the amount of blood she'd lost. The elf felt sorry for the woman. She now sported two grievous injuries, one on her leg and one on her shoulder. He was amazed she hadn't lost consciousness yet. She'd been suffering blood loss before they entered the mines. She could very well die before they reached their destination. That thought caused his heart to pound painfully in his chest. _She will not die. I will not let it happen,_ he vowed silently.

0o0o0o0

When the trees began to grow closer together, they slowed their jogging and running to a walk. The hobbits were tired, as was the entire company. Merry, Pippin, Sam and Frodo were often asking Legolas, who was still carrying Danielle, how she was doing. For the last hour, she'd been unconscious. She'd been talking before but her words slipped between Westron and English so much that the others couldn't rightly understand what she was saying. Because of the blood loss and the fever that was taking over her now, she had muttered about spiders and hallucinated about someone named Gary.

Legolas frowned at the labored breathing of the woman he carried. She was getting worse. He wished fervently that they'd had more aethelas. If he'd had a little more, he could have tended to the poison himself. As it was, the little that they'd put into the wound was only slowing the progress of the poison. It was going to kill her if they didn't reach help in time.

They'd stopped earlier to have a small meal. It was the only way to calm some of them. Danielle hadn't been able to choke down a single bite of the stew that Sam made. She was coughing and shivering too hard. The poison in her system was potent. Boromir had taken a turn with getting her to drink some water and hadn't had much success either. She was just too ill. She was dying and unless he could find more aethelas or they could find aid from the elves and their kin, the woman would not be long for this world.

Boromir felt grief beginning to swell in his chest. She had found her way into his heart faster than he'd thought possible. It was plain to him that he was falling in love with this strange woman. What's more, he could see that though the elf denied it to himself, he was also enslaved by his heart to the woman. The worried glances and touches he lavished upon her were obvious to the Gondorian Captain. Legolas had lost his heart to a mortal woman. If she lived through this ordeal, he wondered if she would notice the elf's attentions as she noticed his.

The fair folk were not quite as forward, he had noticed, when they wished to display their affections. As such, Legolas had not yet noticed that his heart was no longer his. Boromir was not sure if the elf prince would try to capture the heart of the one who'd stolen his already. It was a window of opportunity for the Gondorian to persuade Danielle to give her affections to him alone, if they could heal her ills.

The Gondorian shook his head and brought himself back to the present. Legolas still carried Danielle and showed no signs of tiring. Gimli spoke then, gaining the attention of the hobbits that had been walking around the elf in worry.

"Stay close, young hobbits! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch of terrible power! All who look upon her fall under her spell... and are never seen again."

Frodo stopped as though he'd heard something. Sam stopped with him and gave him a questioning look.

"Mister Frodo?"

"Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and ears of a fox!" he boasted until just a second later, an arrow was pointed directly at the center of his forehead.

"The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," the slightly amused drawl of an elf came as he stepped into view. He was tall and strong, as evidenced by broad shoulders and the bow and arrows he carried. There was a sword at his hip and he, and all the other elves that stepped from the trees and into sight, were clothed in shades of silvery grey. If they'd had their hoods up, they would have been invisible to the eyes of the company save for when they moved too quickly. The elf that had spoken had silver-blond hair that fell about his shoulders, some of it drawn back to keep his face and ears free of hindrance.

This new elf looked upon the group that had crossed his borders. They had been spotted and followed long before they reached this point. It was the fact that one of their own kin traveled with them that had saved them from being slain on sight. He had barely glanced at most of them and then his eyes fell upon the woman that Legolas held so protectively in his arms. She was pale and sickly, trembling with cold, though she was wearing a thick coat of some sort. He gave a startled intake of breath when he saw her face. Haldir recognized her.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Thank you to my reviewers! Guests 1 and 2, Guest of honor, and Puffgirl1952 the 2nd. Ever inspiring my muse to return and bug me a little more until I finally write something of interest._**

 ** _Bit of a short chapter this time. I've been really, truly, actually working at work, so any inspiration I have gets written down instead of typed up at 65 words per minute, as would be usual if I had the time to type instead. On the bright side, I have over 8 hours to think of what I'm going to put down and a notebook that I write those ideas down in. Wicked. Enjoy this chapter!_**

0o0o0o0

Haldir had been a Marchwarden of Lothlórien for nearly a 1200 years. Hardly anything phased him. Yes, he'd reacted badly to the death of his father, the Marchwarden he'd succeeded. It was to be expected, after all. Hádhon was planning on sailing West with his mate and passing the title down to his son had been cause for celebration. A celebration that had become a solemn occasion where the Lady of the Light had offered him condolences and assurances that he would one day see his father again in the Undying Lands. His mother, Calareth, had been too grieved by the loss of her love. Even Rúmil, her youngest elfling, had not been able to quell the loneliness in her heart. She was a delicate elleth.

So, at the tender age of 24 years, Rúmil had become Haldir's responsibility to raise; Calareth had faded. Orophin had done what he could to assist his brother while he also trained to become a warden. Haldir became close with his brothers, with the wardens under his charge. He took their safety seriously and the ellon that had once been able to laugh freely was replaced by a quiet and thoughtful warrior. He had no time for making merry during celebrations and giving his brothers everything they could hope for or need was his primary goal. Next to protecting the Golden Wood, of course.

So, when he saw Legolas carrying someone with a face that he recognized, a face he had not seen in nearly 500 years, he was unable to speak. _What magic is this?_ he thought. _This cannot be._ He stepped forward to get a closer look but the elf prince he'd known in passing for the last 300 years pulled back slightly. Most of the males in the Company moved their hands to their weapons, whether they knew it or not. She was dear to them.

"She is wounded and we do not have the means to heal her without your help. We need aethelas," Legolas began.

"We also require safety," Aragorn cut in. The Marchwarden gave himself a mental shake. They were being hunted by orcs and other foul creatures, none of which he would let into his lands. He gave a brief nod. Arrows were lowered and returned to quivers. He motioned for them to follow him and it was a short walk to a tree where a thin but strong rope ladder had been unfurled. Legolas carefully arranged his burden into a fireman's carry over his shoulder and climbed up quickly. Aragorn and Haldir followed while Gimli, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin were led to an adjacent flet.

"How long ago did this wound occur?" he asked as the makeshift bandage was pulled back. An ugly wound with dark tendrils reached out from the edges. The elf gave a look of disgust. Orc poison was a foul way to die if you did not have the right herbs to start with. When it was this far along, only the power of the elves could save you.

"Nearly a day," came the concerned elf's response. "Do you have aethelas?"

"It is far from here but yes. We have it. I will retrieve it with haste. It may be a few hours before I return. Until then, take your rest here. Then we will talk of why you have crossed our borders," Haldir replied. He watched as a lock of hair fell from the female's face and past a curved ear. _She was mortal? How does a mortal bear a face that has not been seen in 500 years?_ Again, Haldir had to give himself a mental shake. He would answer these questions in due time, he was sure. For now, he had a mission to complete.

0o0o0o0

Darkness and pain. She'd never spent so much time in this place before and now she was wishing she could go back to being just sick and achy. For hours, her tormentor would beat her, cut her. Stabbed his blade into her legs and arms in places that weren't vital and wouldn't bleed much. There were burns across the backs of her hands where they'd taken a hot poker and dragged it across the skin. With all the tortures they'd visited upon her, she'd remained true on one thing: she wasn't giving them what they wanted. Whatever the hell it was. She still had no idea.

It was like she could feel all the pain and suffering they could offer but she was only a visitor. She wasn't the one deciding on where to move her head or when to speak. Hell, she tried to wiggle her big toe and couldn't see either one of those piggies moving. She was not in control of her own body. Even the conversations that she was having with the bastard that kept beating her bloody should have been incomprehensible to her but she knew what was being said. It was like she'd had a Babel fish slipped into her ear and she could understand _everything_ being said. The Elvish, the guttural language the monsters in the shadows spoke. Even some strange hissing and chattering that came off from the side.

"You must be in such agony," the silky voice had returned. The masculine purr mad her skin crawl. "Such pain was not meant for one such as you. Come, now. You only need tell us what our master needs to know. You can rest. Heal. Ease your hunger and thirst. Is that not a fair offer?"

She remained silent. Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to fall. How many days and weeks had she been here? She didn't know. She didn't know _anything_ anymore. Except that she could not give in. As generous as some of the offers she had received were, she could not give him what he wanted. Ever. He must have taken her silence as a consideration of his latest offer.

"You know what we wish from you," the voice said softly. Almost kindly. "You have so much you can still do and see. We are only asking for what you already have to give. You are weary. You can rest easy knowing that you have done well and have earned your rewards."

"I..." she began after a time. She could almost feel the owner of the voice leaning in. Danielle was eager to hear what this other self was going to say. She couldn't imagine what was so important that she wouldn't divulge the information. If this had been her, the _real_ her, she didn't know if she would hold out so long. She wasn't that strong. She knew it. Her voice turned to poison, "I will _never_ give the Dark Lord what he seeks. Kill me. Now. Kill those I love. It makes no difference. I will give you _nothing!_ Not one word will pass my lips henceforth!"

"So you have elected suffering to peace? So be it. I will not need words from you to gain my pleasure. I have already tasted how sweet your blood is. I will enjoy your screams."

A dark shape moved forward and suddenly a pair of pliers were grasping the last nail she had left on her hand and -

0o0o0o0

Awakening. Such an odd word, Danielle mused in her feverish condition. What was awakening? A person? A feeling? So many things could be construed from such a word. At that particular moment, _she_ was awakening. The nightmares she'd been trapped in were still fresh in her mind. That room. That torment... Her eyes opened a crack and she could see familiar faces and not-so-familiar faces hovering over her. It was dark and they seemed to be on some kind of platform. In the pale light generated by... whatever it was that gave off light, everything took on a silvery blue appearance. Her voice didn't want to work but she tried it anyway, hoping to capture the attention of the blond that was speaking quickly in that beautiful language.

"Legolas?" she croaked and he looked down with wide eyes. His hand smoothed over her forehead gently.

"Danielle?" he asked softly. It was the first time since before she knew Westron that he hadn't put 'lady' in front of her name. That spoke volumes to how worried he was. Just how sick was she?

"Don't let me go back to the room," she begged with tears pouring from her eyes. The elf frowned in confusion.

"What room, Danielle? What do you speak of?"

"The room where he hurts me," she explained as if he should have known this. Her voice was cracked and weak. It barely rose above a whisper. "He cuts me and beats me... Make him stop? Please? Don't let me go back there?"

"Who? Who torments you?" he asked softly, smoothing back an errant lock of hair. Legolas couldn't fathom what she was talking about but he would do what he could to ease her pain.

"I don't see him. It's too dark. _Im min baul!"_ she moaned, _"Im min udûn!"_ (I am in torment! I am in hell!)

Legolas was not the only one to hear these words and stare in shock. Aragorn approached slowly with his mouth hanging slightly ajar. _How did Danielle know Sindarin?_ Their unspoken questions would remain unanswered as she began to shake uncontrollably. Her eyes rolled into her head while her arms and legs flopped around violently. Haldir was stunned by the scene he returned to. In his grasp were a few large stems of aethelas. He was about to pull back the dressing of the wound to begin the process of applying it when Legolas snatched it from his hands with a glare and urgency in his features.

They held Danielle down for a long moment. It seemed forever before she stopped twitching. From a nearby flet the hobbits, Boromir and Gimli watched anxiously. When she did not move again, save to breathe, they mashed the herb between stones and teeth and piled as much of it as they could into the wound. Pippin was wringing a small portion of his shirt that had come untucked.

The poor little hobbit was blaming himself for the dangerous wound inflicted on his friend and for the fall of Gandalf. Hadn't she begged him not to mess with things around wells? She'd stopped him from dropping that stone into the well by the archways. Why hadn't he stopped himself from touching that arrow? Why hadn't he just ignored it? Guilty eyes rested on the sickly woman being tended to by Aragorn, Legolas and the elves that had found them.

In the time it had taken for Haldir to recover his wits upon seeing the woman, bring them up to the flet, and retrieve the much-needed herb, the dark tendrils had gotten dangerously close to her heart. Placing his hands over the wound and closing his eyes in concentration, Legolas began the spell he'd done so rarely before.

 _"Menno o n_ _î_ _n na he i eliad annen annin. He leitho o ngurth. Lasto beth n_ _în, tolo dan nan galad!"_ (Send to her the blessing that was gifted to me. Release her from death. Hear my voice, come back to the light!)

Danielle hadn't really been conscious for the moments just after the seizure. However, when she heard a chanting voice, soft and sweet in that lyrical language she'd come to enjoy from her friends, she began to wake again. Her eyes cracked open at the second rendition of the chant and what she saw made her heart squeeze in her chest and her breath hitch. Legolas was bathed in light. It poured from his very flesh and into the air. His eyes, when they opened to capture hers, were the bluest she'd ever seen. She was dazzled.

During his third time through, she began to really feel the effects of what he was doing. _Who knew super legs had superpowers?_ she wondered idly as a warmth rushed through her, turning into a burning but pleasant sensation at her shoulder. Breathing got easier and her body didn't ache so badly anymore. Her eyes drifted back closed and she fell into a deep slumber.

Boromir was nearly mad with worry as he watched the elves work their magic. He watched eagerly as color came back to Danielle's face slowly. Her trembling lessened greatly as the herbs and the magic took effect. Legolas looked slightly drained from his work but stood steadily and helped to place her on a bedroll they'd made up for her. The elf that had guided them up to the flets seemed to quietly take in the woman's appearance and Boromir decided he did not like the stare the elf gave her. He'd not yet claimed her but already he was feeling possessive of the woman. _Mine,_ he thought angrily. _She will be mine. His eyes should not linger where they are not welcome._

Legolas's thoughts were entirely on the welfare of the woman he'd just spent a moment healing. His fëa had touched hers, as would happen during such a healing, and had discovered something unexpected. Danielle's fëa was different than Legolas had ever sensed before. He was by no means an expert in such matters; he had healed a mortal in such a way once, long ago, and had felt what a mortal's fëa was like. Danielle's was... not the same. He wondered if the feeling was because she was of a different world. She had said more than once that mortals where she came from sometimes believed that their _soul_ was reborn over and over again. He briefly thought back to that conversation.

 _"Mortals, as you call us, have a lot of views on death where I come from," she said softly. It was his watch and she'd been unable to sleep because of the cold. They had yet to climb Caradhras._

 _"How many views on death can there be?" he asked dryly. "The fate of Mortals is unknown. Where your fëa goes when you die is a mystery."_

 _"Ah, that is true! Even in my home, we have no idea where we go when we die. Some believe that we go to a paradise, like your Valinor, if we have done good things in our lives and have been fair to others. Some of those people also think that you go to a place of eternal fire and torment if you have only sinned and been selfish."_

 _"That does not sound like too many views," he remarked as he continued to look for any signs of danger. She snorted and his eyes snapped over to her._

 _"Those aren't the only views. Some people believe that no matter what you do in life, you will all end up in the same place. Others believe that once you die, there is nothing left but an empty shell and rotting meat. Some believe that they just simply remain on Earth without a body. Some even believe that when you die, you are ascending to another plane of existence and will have all the knowledge of the universe revealed to them."_

 _The elf was silent for a long while, absorbing the ideas she had presented. Then his eyes slid over to her. She was looking into the horizon where light was beginning to break through the night. Dawn was coming._

 _"What do you believe?" She seemed surprised, perhaps even a little startled by the question. After a moment of consideration, she returned his intense gaze._

 _"I believe, as some do, that every soul has lived before. I believe that the soul is immortal, as you say that you are, and that when the mortal body dies... When_ I _die, I think I'll have the choice to be reborn again and live as someone else or I can wait for a while. I believe that part of the reason souls keep going back to Earth to be reborn is that there is something they are searching for... A soul mate, a child, an experience they've never had before. Perhaps a soul returns to live again because they want to know what it's like to be male or to be female. Perhaps, they wish to know what it's like to be the mind of a male trapped in a female body._

 _"Perhaps they have never been a parent before. Or, they simply enjoy meeting old friends in different incarnations over and over again. Because... the core of who you are remains the same. Whether that is good or evil, nice or mean... And for some, that might mean a chance to redeem a past mistake. A terrible misdeed that would take lifetimes to make up for but if I'm right, a person would have so much time to do it. They just wouldn't know what it is they feel guilty for in those lives or why they must apologize to the world. But that's what I believe," she seemed to sag a little at the end. It was the most he'd heard from her in a single sitting and it had taken a lot out of her to say it._

Was this why her fëa felt so different? He wasn't entirely sure.

"She will sleep for a long while yet," the elf's thoughts were interrupted by Aragorn explaining this to the others. They were all anxious to hear of her condition, if she would survive the night. "She is strong. She will recover. The wound was grievous but now that the poison is gone, she will heal."

Legolas gazed down at the woman before turning to Haldir. They had neglected to do their proper greetings, as propriety would expect. The Marchwarden seemed to have been waiting for this, his attention no longer on Danielle.

 _"Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion,"_ Haldir greeted him formally. As he was the Prince of Eryn Galen, he inclined his head slightly at the greeting. His reply was truly heartfelt.

 _"Govannas_ _vîn gwennen le, Haldir o_ _Lórien."_ (Our Fellowship is in your debt, Haldir of Lórien.)

 _"A, Aragorn in_ _Dúnedain istannen le ammen,"_ he greeted Aragorn. (Ah, Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us.)

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves! Speak words we can also understand!" Gimli said irritably, though some of his ire was at not knowing how the lass he'd come to think of as a sister or even a daughter was doing. They'd tended her wounds, yes. But that didn't stop him from being worried. Haldir gave a look of distinct disgust.

"We have not had _dealings_ with dwarves since the Dark Days."

"And do you know what this dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!"

Aragorn grabbed Gimli's shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. He knew why his companion was so out of sorts but that didn't excuse his bad behavior.

"That was not so courteous," he said in a voice that clearly warned against any further issues arising. Gimli glared back but gave the slightest nod. He wouldn't be more trouble. For now.

The Marchwarden was having a difficult time not looking at the woman that laid on the bedroll nearby. She looked _so much_ like her! But it was impossible. Frustrated by the strangeness of the situation, he let his mind wander over to the halfling that had continuously given him a dark feeling since his arrival. He could _feel_ something was wrong with him. He could also feel a slow madness growing in the Gondorian man, Boromir. He could not let such things pass into this realm.

"You bring great evil with you," he said with a darkness to his voice. Haldir turned to Aragorn. "You can go no further."

He walked away at a clipped pace and was surprised, if only slightly when Aragorn came up from behind and began to whisper furiously to him.

 _"Boe ammen veriad_ _lîn. Andelu i ven!"_ (We need your protection. The road is fell!)

0o0o0o0

Many hours had passed since Aragorn had convinced Haldir to let the Fellowship into the Golden Wood. They were given clean and fresh water, a little bit of food and for the most part, they slept. It was at this point that Pippin asked to go over to where Danielle was. He was led to a small bridge that connected the two flets and he sat down next to the sleeping woman. Feeling the weight of his guilt pressing down on him, he grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

"I'm sorry, Danielle! This is my fault," he said softly. "I should have just listened to you..."

"Then you would not be who you are," she murmured in a tired voice. It was "You are curious and you like to investigate new things. I'll admit, you tend to pick the worst times to go exploring... And you have an appetite like I've never seen before. Seriously, how many meals a day do hobbits eat? Twelve? Fifteen? I can't keep account of it."

The last part was teasing and at first the hobbit barely knew what to say. "But... but... I almost got you killed!"

"Was that your intent?" she asked softly. Shock wrote itself upon his face. He shook his head vehemently.

"Of course not! I never meant for any of this to happen!"

"Then, you are forgiven. Don't blame yourself for what happened in Moria, Pippin. I have a feeling that things would have gotten bad like that no matter what we did. I think it was fate. I don't think Gandalf would want you feeling such sorrow either."

"How do you know?" his voice was filled with regret.

"Because I wouldn't want you to feel so bad. If I had died back there and I knew how you'd feel now, I'd want you to know that no matter what, I forgive you. You are my friend, Peregrin Took. My curious, smokey, hungry friend. And nothing would change that," she had a gentle look in her eyes. She gave his hand a small squeeze, as if to emphasize her words. Pippin gave her a watery gaze. Then, he gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Pippin wasn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer but at this moment, he understood the meaning of her words. _I love you for who you are, my brother._

He sat with her for a while longer, his mood restored significantly. He chatted happily about the kinds of food that the elves here had given them, what kinds of food it reminded him of and what foods from home he missed. He also missed the Old Toby leaf he'd smoked up. Danielle almost laughed outright, though her shoulder still ached even when she just giggled. _Of course he misses the weed. Things have smelled a little too green around some of these guys. Thank the gods that Legolas doesn't smoke. He's about the only person I can be around when they get with the chimney impersonations. Him or Boromir. That guy doesn't smoke either. Not that I've seen, anyway._

Once Pippin returned to his own bedroll, things were quiet for the young woman. She would either drift back to sleep or find herself looking around curiously. Whenever she tried to move, an elf would appear out of thin air, it seemed, to advise her of how unwise that was until she was feeling a little stronger. Legolas was on another flet having a deep conversation with Aragorn and another elf she didn't recognize.

There was one elf that unnerved her, though. He had silver-blond hair with intense eyes and broad shoulders that showed how hard he worked at his chosen profession. He would stare at her with narrowed eyes. It was like he was searching for something but hadn't found it yet. He got close enough to speak to but never said a word. It was so strange for her but the longer she looked at him, the more skewed her perspective became. More than once she had to give her head a shake and look the other way. Looking at this elf gave her a headache.

When she next woke from the dreamless sleep she'd fallen into, Danielle was being carried on a litter between two elves that she did not recognize. They looked as though they could be related to the one that gave her a headache. Turning her head slightly, she noticed with some mixture of amusement and worry that the others had blindfolds and were being led through the woods in that state. She strained herself too much in craning her neck to see where everyone was and ended up falling back asleep shortly thereafter.

She was so tired... and she felt so strange. There was this tingling sensation that ran throughout her body. She'd never been healed by magic elves before, so she wasn't sure if this was supposed to happen or if it was just because she was weird in the first place. Whatever the reason, the tingling increased the closer they got to their destination. Danielle was glad when they took the blindfolds off the others but that was short-lived. When they came upon a river and had no bridge, she prepared to get a little wet. When they made a rope bridge and told her that they were going to carry her across on the litter, she nearly rolled off of the damn thing trying to get away.

"No way in _hell_ are you going to try a circus high-wire-tight-roping act with me as the main event!" she struggled as they tried to assure her that if she just laid still, they'd get across quickly and safely. "Nope! Not doing it!"

"You do not have to do _anything,_ mortal," the one who gave her a headache said. Just looking at him hurt. "My people will carry you. Lay still."

"Just lay still. Right. I think that's what most guys say on prom night to their dates. But I wouldn't know because I didn't go to prom. Just like I'm not going across that thing laying on my back! I'll walk, thank you very much! I have legs. I'll use them."

"Danielle, you are still greatly injured. Perhaps it would be best -" Boromir began slowly. She had already started getting up and the two elves holding the litter had set it on the ground, lest they dump her by accident and cause her further injury. Or, perhaps they might have hoped for a brief knock on the head to just shut her up when they'd still held it aloft. From her position, just beginning to stand up, she rounded on him.

"Oh, don't tell me what's best for _me._ I'm not going to let someone else carry me when I can walk on my own. Yes, I'm injured. Yes, I could hurt myself worse by doing things myself. I think that accidentally opening a stitch or two is tiny next to one little cough causing me to get dumped into a cold and fast river because someone insisted that they knew what was best for me. I _hate it_ when people try to make decisions about my life without consulting me."

She turned to the elf that gave her headaches, also known as Haldir, and stared at the rope bridge. There were three ropes, one for their feet, one that was just about hobbit and dwarf height and a third one that was closer to Boromir's and Aragorn's height. After feeling a little woozy for standing up too long, she selected the tallest rope for her arm. Her left shoulder was still bound and her arm was essentially tied to her chest to keep her shoulder from moving too much. With her right hand, she leaned on the tallest rope. Her feet found their way across the bridge in a slow but careful pace. She made it to the other side with minimal gasping from fear and for need of an extra breath or two.

The others quickly followed and the rope bridge was dismantled. The two elves that had carried her on the litter had followed as well and were giving her a meaningful look. They wanted her to lay back down. However, they were about to learn about the stubbornness of Danielle Barr when she was already in a foul mood. This was one such mood. She was feeling weird, she'd been essentially told to lay down and take it and now they wanted to treat her like a damsel in distress. The fact that she _was_ a damsel in distress was beside the point. It was the principle of the thing. She'd already been a burden to this Company, she wasn't going to be a burden any more if she could help it.

 _Now, if only I could stay conscious long enough to actually live up to that,_ she thought as she sank back down to the ground. She had worn herself out. Again. Briefly, as hands caught her and lifted her back onto the litter, she wondered if she would ever be anything other than a useless tag-a-long to the people that she was beginning to consider her family. And just why the elf that gave her headaches, formerly known as Haldir, was giving her such strange and unreadable looks since she'd woken up. Weirdo.


	9. Chapter 9

**_First of all, if you haven't noticed, I went back and added a little bit to Chapter 7. Nothing much, mind you. I was watching the Fellowship of the Ring for inspiration and... well, I got some. Look for the change by the Tomb of Balin. You'll like it, I promise._**

 ** _Thank you to my reviewers: Puffgirl1952 the 2nd, jshaw0624, gogoloo, PheonixUniverse, wajagirlliz, and Guest_** ** _. Your dedication to feeding my muse is appreciated. Also, you know how I know I'm doing a good job writing a story or a chapter? When I get thirteen new followers on that story in a just a few days. Thank you. You know who you are. It made my day to see my list jump like that. It's always exciting and amazing to see._**

 ** _By the way, this story has had 3,150 views since I began writing and posting it on the 5th of April. Nice! I don't think I've ever gotten that many views in a single month for a single story. Not that I can remember, anyway. And you wonderful readers span from the USA and the UK to Trinidad and Tobago to Latvia and Sri Lanka. Wow. Just... Wow. So, thank you. Thank you so much for reading this story. Also, apologies for the slightly shorter chapter. I'm trying to pace myself for what's to come._**

 ** _Word of caution for this chapter: unsavory things are going to happen. Specifically, rape. If it makes you uncomfortable, skip to the next section._**

0o0o0o0

The elves of Lórien were startled and horrified when the wounded woman who slept on the pallet made by Haldir began to scream and wail. Danielle's body shook with sobs. Her companions were just as horrified. It turned for the worst when she began thrashing as though she were being attacked from more than one direction and nearly rolled off the flet they'd climbed up to for the night. Danielle's health had worsened after she had refused help at the river earlier in the day. She'd gone back to being pale and sweating. At one point, she had stopped breathing for nearly a minute, causing the entire company to go into chaos.

The Lórien elves were at a loss of what to do when her chest had stopped rising and falling nearly twenty minutes after having put her back on the litter. They had called back to Haldir that the mortal woman was passing and it had spurred him, along with Legolas and Aragorn, into action. The rest of the company hadn't quite understood what had been said at first because it was in Sindarin. But they made the inference of Danielle's impending death by the way they ran to her side. Some of the wardens assumed that Haldir's behavior was because they were going to be considered guests of the Lord and Lady; it might reflect badly on the Marchwarden.

It took only took sitting her up to get her to start breathing again and a hard slap to the back. A small glob of blood flew out of her mouth and onto the ground next to them. She didn't wake throughout this. Once they had gotten her up on the flet, they had assumed that everything would be quiet until the next morning. They had hoped that her coughing up that bloody clot was all they would have to be concerned about. Then the screaming started.

Legolas had been speaking with another elf close to where she'd been laying and had to leap forward in order to prevent her from falling off the flet once she began rolling. Cries of fear for the woman's safety were heard all around. Once she'd been put back on the pallet and it was sure that she wasn't gong to be able to roll like that again, there was hushed conversation.

"Is she all right?" asked Sam worriedly.

"Why was she screaming like that?" asked Pippin, the fear for his friend showing deeply in his eyes. Boromir was just as concerned and had planted himself next to her after the little scare she'd given them.

"I do not know. Something plagues her dreams. I have never seen someone become so ill after being healed of a poisonous wound as she has become," Aragorn replied quietly. He was deeply concerned about her state as well. Her sobs haunted the entire company. Even Haldir, who stood slightly to the outside of the group in deep conversation with his brothers, could not remain unaffected. She looked so much like _her._ She even sounded like _her._ It was unsettling.

"The wound she sustained should not have caused such a reaction after being healed," Haldir spoke. "I have seen many wounds such as that. This is unusual. In fact, she should be more healed than she is now."

Legolas was more than a little pained by the state the woman he'd come to call a friend was in. Her sweating, pallid face made his heart twist. They had tried to wake her but it was as if she were trapped in a world of nightmares. Nothing would rouse her.

"Perhaps the demons she battles are not of the poison's making?" suggested Legolas. "Perhaps she has nightmares for the perils we have faced."

"But will not wake when bidden? I think not. Some foul craft is at work here," Boromir glared at the elf. _What did he do to her? His magic did not heal her as it should have,_ the Gondorian thought suspiciously. _If it was meant to heal her at all._

From his place across the flet next to Sam, Frodo was frozen with guilt. Whatever ills fell upon this woman were of his making, he was sure. Not for the last time, he wished fervently that the Ring had never come to him. He wished that it had been destroyed thousands of years ago when it should have been by Isildur. He wished that his uncle Bilbo had never found it. Sam, at that moment, was wishing that he knew what to do to help the young woman who was so friendly towards him. She would sing songs from that strange little music box of hers and translate the ones that he liked best. She even would recite strange poetry of the like he'd never heard before and make him laugh while he toiled over the evening meals.

Merry had liked the young woman as well. She seemed to have mischief in her eyes at times but not overtly so. She had the capability of getting into just as much trouble as he and Pippin did but was just a little better at hiding it. He came to rest next to her for a moment. He stared down at the woman who seemed to struggle and sweat with absolute terror on her face. He could only wonder, as did many others in the company, what was terrorizing her so.

0o0o0o0

The dream was different again. She was curled up in a corner of a different room this time. Unbound but shaking and beaten, Danielle was aware that she was once again just a passenger in this dream. She didn't control the horizontal or the vertical. She was just an observer who could feel all the suffering that was wrought upon the body. A loud bang startled her and she watched through wide eyes as the door to the room was filled up by a hideous creature that barely even resembled something that should be alive.

It stomped forward and grabbed her roughly by the hair. She could see that the tresses that framed her face had once been a blonde color through the blood and filth caked on it. Her body was barely covered by the torn clothes she wore. The dress didn't even cover down to her mid thigh, not that it mattered. The number of wounds that were half healed and fresh were appalling. It grinned a filthy, toothy grin and a long tongue slobbered over her cheek and into the cut that she was suddenly aware resided there.

"Going to make good sport of you," it growled as the other had wandered in places that made Danielle want to sob. Her scalp ached from the pain of being held in the air by her hair and now she knew what was going to be come of her, she didn't want to be here anymore. She begged and prayed and pleaded with an unseen force to take her away from the horror that she was about to experience. Numbness settled into her as the beast pulled her to a group of hungry-eyed monsters. The driver of this body made no noise, no comment about what she must have known was coming.

She envied her host's ability to stay quiet as they inflicted horror upon horror on her frail body. Danielle wished that the wails and screams that her mind were letting loose could be heard. She felt sick and disgusted by the sensations she was forced to endure. When it was over, the violation she felt in the very depths of her soul was damaging to the point that she wished for death but it would not come.

Her broken and limp body was carelessly thrown back into the dungeon. She didn't move. She didn't even want to breathe. Pain was all she knew and Danielle began to wonder if these dreams were of the future she was meant to endure. Was this a dream of a time far into the future when she was older, wiser and able to handle the kind of torture that made you wish you were dead? Somehow, she was sure that was not the case.

It seemed like days passed that she lay in the dark, the pain that throbbed from between her thighs and from her rear her only sensations that tied her to reality. She'd crawled to the filthy pot in the room and used it at one point, becoming nauseous when she realized her urine was brown from the blood mixed in with it. Her thighs were slick with the red stuff as it oozed from her damaged body.

She was dying. It was a realization that came suddenly and viciously to her. Her host was dying. Could you die in a dream and just wake up, or would you die in the real world too? It was a thought that passed her mind more than once. It seemed like this nightmare was never going to end though.

She didn't have much longer to think on this because there were shouts heard in the hallway. Cries and clashes of swords were heard and a battle was fought. Her host looked towards the door dully as it opened with a loud bang. Were they coming to finish her off? Danielle almost wished they would. But the figure that was shrouded in the light cast by torches was not the same beast that had ravaged her body days ago. Blond hair fluttered behind him as he strode over and blue eyes glinted in the pale light. As he grew closer, his features became clearer and it was obvious that he was -

0o0o0o0

A cry of pain left her lips as she sat up with a hand reached out. Who was Danielle reaching for? Even she didn't know. She hadn't gotten a clear look at her savior's face. She only knew that he was there to save her. A dry sob choked out from her throat, which was already raw. Water was brought to her lips and she didn't care who brought it to her. She drank greedily. So greedily, in fact that the entire skin was emptied before too long. As soon as it was taken away, another was placed before her. Tired eyes looked up to see who had handed her the water and she was surprised the Headache elf had been the one to hand it to her.

"Drink more slowly," he commanded. "You will make yourself ill."

She stared at him dumbly for a moment before nodding. The headache he caused was not nearly as bad as it was the first time she'd laid eyes upon him. A dull thud remained behind her eyes but nothing more now. Looking around, it was night again and the bluish light that they kept in these trees glistened off of just about everything. She sipped the water slowly.

"Danielle! You're awake! You gave us quite a scare!" cried Frodo softly. He was the only one who had been awake at the time but by the time he was done speaking, the rest of them were awake and crowding around her. Haldir took a step back so that the Fellowship could greet one they had taken as their own. There were several voices speaking all at once for a moment before she got a word in.

 _"Quiet!"_ she ground out with a head against her forehead. The cacophony of their voices were almost too much for her and the headache that had been a dull thud was suddenly a roaring pain. "Gods, my head aches. Anyone have an _aspirin_?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. She knew the answer to the last bit would be a resounding no. They hadn't invented or discovered that yet.

"What is ass-per-inn?" Haldir asked suspiciously from behind them. He wasn't used to her sarcasm just yet and he wasn't entirely sure what it was that she was asking for.

"Not something you'd want to have happen to you, let me tell you," she replied with a snort. She couldn't help herself. "I was asking for _aspirin._ It's for pain and inflammation where I come from. And my head really, _really_ hurts."

The Headache elf sniffed delicately and glared. Apparently, he couldn't take a joke. Pity. Now she'd have to find ways to mock him more to get that same look of disdain every time she saw him. It was the least she could do for the pain he kept invoking at his very sight.

"Do not strain yourself, Danielle. Rest. I will put herbs in your water that will help with your pain," Aragorn gently pushed her back into a sitting position. He took the water she had been lightly sipping and pulled out a small bag of herbs. He poured a measured amount into the skin and then closed it to shake it. Once he was satisfied it was properly mixed, he opened it again and handed it back. Danielle sniffed it and though the smell was unpleasant, she took it in slowly again. It tasted even worse. She took another sip.

She'd learned her lesson a while back: Aragorn's magic herbs for pain relief were better than most pharmaceuticals back home. Hell, she'd told him about the muscles that would tense up in her leg and hip, the one with the nasty scar, and he'd given her an herb that kept her legs from moving for hours before and while she slept. He assured her that was not his intent initially. She assured him that he could give her that special herb anytime she asked for it. It was better than some of the stuff she'd taken at home for the same purpose.

Briefly, as she sipped the now foul tasting water, she thought about the nightmares she'd been having. Each one had been slightly different. The only thing that remained the same for each one was that she was unable to force her own body to move. She was a passenger in someone else's body. Someone who was made of much stronger stuff than she was. Someone who had endured torture of the worst kind and then endured being violated without uttering a single word. Someone who was rescued in the end but Danielle had no idea who it was that saved her.

She rested back with that water canteen for a long while. The others settled down to sleep but she remained awake. She couldn't bear the thought of sleeping again. She didn't know what it might bring.

0o0o0o0

Danielle was walking on her own by the time they made it to the outskirts of where the city truly began. Pale and sometimes requiring someone to lean on, she was determined to not be carried any further than she had to be. She'd been carried quite enough. When the Company had come to the foot of the largest tree and the stairs that curved around them, the look of exasperation and incredulity that crossed her face was amusing to the elves that had been leading them and understood Westron. They had learned over the course of the last few hours that she had an acerbic wit when she was tired and in pain. And hungry. And did she mention the pain? It was a side of her that had not been seen by the Fellowship during their time with her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did you want some cheese to go with that whine?" she groused at Merry when he complained for a third time that they needed to rest on their way up the never-ending stairway. She was having a hard time of it and leaned heavily on the tree's bark for a moment. She had insisted on walking. Now she was feeling tired again.

Legolas waited until the others passed him before he went back down to the woman. She had changed into some of her cleaner clothes and the coat that was covered in blood and gore had been taken from her. She wore a tank top with barely-there straps and the bra was the last one that hadn't been completely destroyed. It barely did its job of keeping her breasts in line because she'd lost so much weight. Her breasts were actually too small for the contraption. The light orange and red design on the material were eye-catching. Her pants were bunched up and held up by the belt that was really beginning to show the wear and tear of being constantly in use.

"I know you wish to do this yourself. But you are still injured and far too weak to walk these stairs by yourself for now. Would you accept my help, Danielle? Please?"

"I've been nothing but a drag on you all since I met you. I'll make it up there on my own this time," she said stubbornly and with a hint of something else. The elf frowned.

"You are ashamed?" he asked, starting to realize why she was just so grumpy now.

"Ashamed? More like _mortified,"_ she replied with a soft snort. She wasn't even bothering to walk at that moment. The rest of the Fellowship had paused far enough up the tree to be out of sight but could still hear the words they spoke. "I'm useless. What have I done here besides use up medicines you didn't have enough of in the first place? And eat up the food you all meant for yourselves? And I've been slowing you all down. I'm just making everything worse. As usual."

The last part she had muttered more to herself than to him.

"I do not see it that way," he said softly. "Nor do the others. You could not help how you came to be in our midst. You were injured and starving and lost."

"But I could have done more," she shook her head. "I could have... I could have done _something."_

"What would you have done differently, Danielle? I do not believe there is anything you could have done that would have changed how we came to be here as we are now. You have done more than you know to help this Fellowship," the elf responded softly. "Please, let me help you now. There is no shame in accepting help when it is offered."

Danielle couldn't think of anything to argue back with. She leaned against the trunk for a long moment, considering Legolas and his offer. As much as she wanted to do this by herself, she knew that trying to do this by herself was only slowing them down again. _He's offering to help you,_ her mind whispered to her. _He wouldn't offer if he didn't mean it. One thing about Legolas you know is that he doesn't say what he doesn't mean. Ever._

"... Fine."

It came out as a deep sigh of resignation. Carefully, he placed his arms under her knees and at her shoulders before scooping her up bridal-style. She quickly placed one arm around his neck for her own stability. He was already carrying her pack. Danielle wanted to ask if he had super strength to go with his super legs but refrained from making the comment. He didn't seem to struggle with her weight as he took the stairs quickly and caught up to the rest of the group in little time.

It wasn't long before they reached a platform high in the trees. Legolas gently set her down and she leaned against Boromir, who was right next to her, for the strength to keep standing. He placed an arm around her shoulders, for which she gave him a grateful smile; she needed all the stability she could get at this point. She missed the odd look that Legolas shot them and the smug look that covered the man's face when he noticed what she did not. Her attention was more drawn towards the short set of stairs that they'd been brought before and the brightening light that came from the top.

Two radiant beings that truly glowed descended and stunned the brunette. The pain that had subsided in her head from the Headache elf had returned in full force in less than a second at the sight of them. Ever heard of the Dynamic Duo? Well, Danielle couldn't help but dub them the Migrianic Duo. With the Headache elf thrown in, they were the Three Migraine-teers. Her head felt like a powder keg was slowly burning down to a major explosion.

One thing she couldn't deny was their beauty. The male had white blond hair and a grim expression that barely marred what an exquisite specimen he was. Well over six feet, he towered over Danielle by what seemed like miles. And the female? She towered over Danielle's 5'4" frame easily. And with her golden blonde tresses glowing under the pale moonlight and starlight, the brunette could only surmise that she had dunked her head in a really great vat of glow-stick material or had visited a nuclear test site recently.

 _Seriously, no one can be that beautiful_ and _glow naturally. Did she visit Chernobyl? I mean, really? Holy crap!_ Bright blue eyes suddenly pierced her and Danielle had the inkling that this elf could hear her every thought. It was a disturbing and uncomfortable thought. She immediately began to feel better, though, when she realized that she primarily thought in English and since it was unlikely that this woman understood that, her thoughts were pretty much safe from being read too much. She just had to make a conscious effort _not_ to think in Westron.

"The Enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone," the male said sagely. He looked over the group slowly. "Nine there are here, yet only eight of those are whom set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow," the female said with a stunned look in her eyes. Danielle could tell that this was not a look that passed her features often. The male turned slightly wider eyes to the elleth that was obviously his mate.

"He was taken by both shadow and flame: a Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria," Legolas spoke up and the young woman could clearly see the grief in his eyes.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his whole purpose," the elleth replied. She turned her eyes to Gimli and Danielle did the same. "Do not let the emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart, Gimli, son of Glóin. For the world is full of peril and in all lands, love is now mingled with grief."

Feeling a slight shudder in the arm that was wrapped around her shoulders, she looked up and saw Boromir had locked eyes with the glowing elleth. He let out a small sob, much to her surprise, and looked away. Weeping. _She can reduce a grown man to tears with a single look. Beware to the man that tries to buy her a drink at the bar!_

Whispering suddenly came into her mind, in Westron, probing but gentle. The pain associated with this intrusion caused Danielle to grit her teeth. She would wait until she was in a more private place to succumb to her agony. Subtly, she lifted a hand to brush at the wetness that dripped from her nose and quickly hid the drop of blood that she'd wiped away. She missed what was being said but it was something about rest after toil and grief. She could do with rest. That was definitely on the menu. Before she could say anything, she was pulled from Boromir's half hug and back into the arms of the elf that was acting as her personal chauffeur.

"Are you well, Danielle?" Legolas asked as he carried her back down to ground level. She nodded absently. She had a lot on her mind at the moment. A lot of pain and a lot of thoughts. She just needed to sort through them with a fine-toothed comb was all.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Not tooting my own horn here, but I've been reading over what I have posted so far and I'm pleased with what I've put out there. Now, if only this website would post my story without taking out the punctuation in some of these sentences and paragraphs. Punctuation is everything. It's the difference between a good sentence and a terrifying sentence. For example: Let's eat mommy. Now_ that _would be a really creepy thing to say to your mom. But, if we have the correct punctuation: Let's eat, mommy; this sentence is less creepy and more cute._**

 ** _If you're wondering about the lyrics you're going to read in this chapter and have never heard of them before, just put them into google. You'll find some great youtube videos that will explain everything. You'll love it. I promise._**

 ** _Anyway, thank you to my reviewers jshaw0624, Puffgirl1952 the 2nd and Guest. You have fed the muse. The muse is happy. The muse produces when happy. Here's the muse's production for this chapter. Enjoy._**

0o0o0o0

Once they reached the ground again, an elleth came to guide Danielle away to bathe. Her gait was slow and the much taller female was patient as she waited for her to catch up. Legolas had wanted to carry her but she blushed and told him that wasn't necessary. The elleth was more than six feet tall and had blonde hair, as did every other elf Danielle had ever seen. She had piercing green eyes that scrutinized her every move, as if she was trying to decide something while she led her to... wherever it was she was leading the brunette.

She was taken to a pool of steaming water that seemed to be part of a spring. It naturally drained into a small stream and had only been altered slightly to allow for steps, a seat and for the water to rise up over your shoulders if you sat down in them. The water was constantly refreshed by the flowing stream it was connected to. The elleth had a vial of herbs that she dumped into the steaming waters. An earthy but pleasant smell rose up after a moment.

"You bathe in this. Help wounds. We take clothes and mend. Alter. Use dress," she said in broken Westron, gesturing to the shimmering fabric that was laid on a nearby chair. Danielle nodded and the elleth turned and left. She looked around to get a better idea of where she was.

The area was hidden by plants and trees that had been woven together as they grew to form walls around the steaming spring. They arched high above her head to form a natural ceiling made of leaves and flowers in bloom. Thick cloths she thought were meant as towels were neatly folded on a table nearby and vials of soaps and oils waited in an alcove by the water for use.

With a tired glance to the opening that acted as a doorway, she undressed and slid into the water. A hissing moan left her lips. It felt so _good_ to be immersed in this heat. For a long while, Danielle just sat there, letting the heat soothe her aching muscles. She hadn't realized how many aches she had until then. The last bit of pins and needles from the warg bite faded from her leg and the wound in her shoulder was burning from the contact with the healing herbs, much like a cut tends to burn and bubble underneath peroxide when it is applied. The herbs were cleansing her ills.

Danielle finally looked at her shoulder. The skin was puckered and dirty but she couldn't see any infection still lingering in the tissue. In fact, it looked more healed than it should have. Just like the warg bite. This wound was perhaps two days old at the most. It was half way to being completely closed. Not only that, but the question she hadn't been able to answer in Moria was finally addressed. The little hairs she hadn't brushed away from her legs in the darkness and the dark hair from her lady bits had come away and were currently floating quickly away with the dirty water. She blushed as she realized that there wasn't any hair on her entire body save for her eyebrows, of which a few hairs had come away but not all, and the hair on her head.

Thinking of the hair on her head, she waited until the last tiny hairs had cleared from the spring before she dunked her head under the water and scrubbed furiously at the dirty tresses. She poured what must have been soap onto her hand and worked up a rich lather in her hair before dunking under and scrubbing it out again. It had grown so much longer than she was used to it being. How long had she been out there? Her hair now brushed by her hips. The thick, dark curls were now streaked with that silver blonde she'd had little time to consider since the dark mines.

She didn't bother to try and count how long it took to get the snarls and tangles out. She put some of that fragrant oil in her hair and used the hairbrush provided. It was so bad that she couldn't start at the roots. She had to start at the very tips after separating the mass of hair using her fingers, and a lot of patience, into two large sections on either side of her head. She wasn't even half way to the roots of her hair when she had to empty all of the dead hair from the brush. When her left side was completely smoothed out, she began to work on the right, which was easier since Danielle was right handed in the first place. Again, she had to empty out the dead hairs from the brush at the halfway mark. _Never again do I go without putting this monstrosity into a braid before bed. Or travel. Or swimming. Or anything, really._

Danielle desperately wished she had a mirror to look and see what it looked like. To see what _she_ looked like. Scrubbing that soapy stuff onto her body only made her realize how much she had changed in what she estimated to be two months' time. Not a single inch of her skin still retained the shiny stretch marks that had been everywhere for years. It was like they never even happened. She was still thicker than these elvish women were but where they were thin, she had a little extra curve.

Her hips weren't overly narrow and her breasts, strangely perky and decidedly not sagging from her previous excess weight, were round and full. If she'd had to guess, Danielle was now a full C cup rather than the DD cup she'd been sporting for years. From what she could see of her belly, it had shrunk almost completely down. There was still a fair amount of pudge there but muscle could also be seen. Even the scar on her hip from Gary seemed faded but not gone. The jagged check mark it formed as it wrapped around from her right side and extended to just below her belly button seemed lighter.

The memory of how it had been engraved into her made Danielle shiver slightly. She'd never forgive him for what he'd done. How had he convinced her not to press charges? She still didn't know. She forced her eyes and mind away from it. Instead, she concentrated on more important things. Stepping out of the bath once she was completely clean and her body completely free of aches, she was still light-headed from the wound in her shoulder. She'd almost forgotten about how abused her left side had been since the start of this whole thing. _Left arm, left shoulder, left leg. What's next? Just cleave me in half and all one side will be scar tissue while the other will be mostly pristine. Except for Gary's gift._

With a sigh, she wrapped the towel around her and dried off. It didn't take long. The fabric of the towel was absorbent and wicked away the moisture quickly. She was turning to grab the dress that had been left for her when she finally noticed that there was a mirror in this bath house. Looking at her body, she didn't recognize herself. Her face had changed so much that she wasn't sure if she was even in the right body. Wiser eyes stared out from a youthful, weary face.

Curly brown hair that had grown significantly since her arrival held streaks of that silver blonde that looked almost like a professional had done it... but still natural enough to be beautiful. The scars from the warg attack on her calf were almost non-existent. The scar from the tree that had given her a nasty infection when she arrived in Arda was nearly gone, too. In fact, the flesh was slightly whiter and barely was noticeable. _Every injury I've gotten here is almost healed or almost disappeared. How is that even_ possible? _Am I going mad?_

Her mind was drawn back to the meeting of the Migrianic Duo. When the Lady Galadriel, as she found out the elleth was from Legolas, had pressed into her mind, her head had ached horribly. She hadn't told anyone about the bloody nose it gave her or that she'd washed a blood out of her ears from that as well. She didn't intend on telling anyone about that, either. In fact, only Galadriel probably knew about it and that was because she'd seen the blood drip out of the brunette's nose. Danielle dressed quickly after her study of her body. It was so strange to see this body after so long and it was obvious that the person who stared back at her from that mirror was one who had seen things she never have ought to have seen.

The dress she pulled on was of a white and shimmering material. There was beading along the neckline, which was not super low to begin with. And then, there was the fact that the dress had a built-in binding that worked better than any bra she could have bought on the market. Once her breasts were in place, they seemed to be locked there. It was awesome. The dress went all the way down to the ground and past because it was a dress constructed for a much taller frame. The sleeves were long and had a slit along the top of the forearm that let them be long without getting in the way. The slit went up to the elbow and the material fluttered in the breeze in shimmering waves to the ground.

Danielle felt a tingling sensation all over her body. It had been there since before they entered the elvish city but now that she was here, the sensation was constant. It was a warm feeling that she could not place but it was familiar. She tried to ignore it but it was useless. She picked up the clothes that no longer fit and was about to carry them with her when the elleth that had led her to the spring seemed to spring out of thin air to take them from her. Those piercing green eyes studied her again and she suddenly thought she might know what an amoeba felt like under a microscope.

"You know, if you take a picture, it'll last _much_ longer. Especially if you get it laminated. Those things last just about forever if you don't use the cheap stuff. Like, this one time? I had a friend who used the super cheap stuff and it only lasted about a month. So, yeah. Go expensive when you get that picture," she quipped nervously. The elleth didn't seem to know what she was saying or didn't care. Danielle suspected the latter. She was led back to an open area where sleeping arrangements had been made for the Company. There was food laid out on several small tables and bedrolls had been made up for the night. Gimli was already snoring quite loudly from his spot near Aragorn.

The hobbits had all taken up residence underneath the large base and root of one of the enormous trees that they were surrounded by. She had not yet seen Boromir or Legolas but she had been seen by the others that were awake. Pippin was the first to open his mouth after the initial moment of stunned silence that was wrought over the rest of them. They'd never seen her cleaned up so well before and now that she was wearing an actual dress, it was a first look they would not forget.

"Look! She really is a lady! A real lady, not just a man pretending!" he cried softly. Danielle's eyes bugged out of her head for a second before she leaned against a tree to laugh as Merry smacked his cousin upside the head for the thoughtless comment. _That must have been a joke or theory of theirs before I understood Westron,_ she thought as she tried to catch her breath.

"Pippin!" came the admonishment. It only caused Danielle to giggle more as she tried to settle down.

"Never thought I'd be the center of a 'dude looks like a lady' conversation," she gasped as she looked at them. They gave her quizzical looks in response and it sent her into another fit of giggles.

"Dude looks like a lady?" Sam asked in confusion. Resisting the urge to laugh even more, she nodded as she took a seat near them.

"It's a phrase that was turned into a song back home. It's about... well, it's about a man who is about to take a lover and he finds out that the lady was actually a man dressed as a lady," she explained and then paused. "Well, I think that's what it was about. I always just enjoyed the beat of the song more than the lyrics on that one."

"How in the world did he not know that it was a man?!" he asked in shock. The hobbits eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hair.

"Well, a man can very easily look like a lady if they were to try," she laughed. "An excellent example would be... An elf! Male elves, if they were so inclined, could easily look female. Let's take Legolas for example! If I were to put him into a dress, use a little bit of fabric to fill out the chest and put some more red color in his cheeks and lips, he might look more like a lady than a male, wouldn't he?"

The elf in question had just returned with a silver jug that he meant to use to get water and turned a curious eye over to them. Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Sam were all staring at him hard and he was slightly bewildered as to why. Then, as if all four of them had the same exact image in their heads, they all had widened eyes and turned away with embarrassment. Danielle could only grin at their response.

"You see, it's all about how you dress that person up. A clean-shaven man who puts the same effort into his 'beauty' as a woman does could easily be mistaken for a woman. Especially since there are a growing number of men who dress like women where I come from," she giggled. "Any questions?"

"I do not think I want to know what you were talking about," Legolas muttered loud enough for them to hear. They didn't respond.

As they were all about to turn back to their tasks, lilting voices drifted down from the trees above. The melody was haunting and as one voice called out the song, others joined in with responding words or harmonies. The resulting music was enough to break their hearts.

"A lament for Gandalf," Legolas whispered, his eyes turning to the flets above with a look of wonder.

"What do they say about them?" Merry asked softly.

"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near," he turned to look at the halflings with sadness in his eyes but they lingered on the young woman who's eyes had closed and head tilted up to listen to the sad music being made above her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Danielle looked radiant in the borrowed dress. The silver streaks in her hair were shimmering in the pale light. She looked almost like an elf.

Boromir had not yet seen the woman he had begun to covet so much. He had begun to desire her as much as he desired the Ring, of that he was not ashamed. It was the other thoughts that plagued him that made his heart ache. Danielle was meant to be with him. He was sure of that. Why else would she have been found by _them?_ It was fate. He would persuade Aragorn to take the company through Gondor and Frodo to lend him the Ring for a brief time before it was destroyed. Simple. Perfect.

But even as this plan unfurled in his mind, there was the grief that the elf-witch had wrought when she spoke in his head. Her wisdom was without equal, he was sure. The things that she whispered into his mind... The fall of Gondor, of his father? It was madness. It cut him to the bone and drove him to distraction. It drove doubt deep into his heart and only strengthened his belief, his resolve that the Ring should go to Gondor to beat back the enemy before it could fall to ruin. Despite the elf-witch's assurances that there was still hope, he was in despair. He barely even glanced up at the ranger as he came near...

0o0o0o0

This dream was... nice. She still had the role of the unwilling passenger, but this dream? It really _was_ a dream. It wasn't full of pain and suffering as she'd experienced before. She lay upon soft, fragrant grass and flowers that bloomed in the spring air. Her arms were stretched out above her head and her feet dangled over an outcropping of rocks beside a stream, her toes gracing the top of the water as her legs swung back and forth in lazy arches.

"What do you daydream of this time?" came a lilting female voice. Danielle's eyes didn't stray from the gently floating clouds above. She felt her face twist into a smile.

"An adventure," she remarked casually back to the speaker.

"Ah, but what kind of adventure? Do you imagine creeping into the kitchens unseen for sweets? Or is it how you will become the warden that saves all of Caras Galadhon?"

The other speaker came into view. She was tall, as all elleth usually are, and had almost golden eyes and unusual reddish-blonde hair. Her smile was gentle and mirth poured from her every movement. Danielle didn't know who she was but was instantly comfortable with her. It was like when she was around her best friends at home, like Rachelle and Mika. She felt she could tell her anything and everything and never be judged.

"The kind of adventure where there are dragons and elves and dwarves," she laughed. "All fighting for a great treasure of untold gold and jewels! Jewels that sparkle like stars on a clear night!"

It was with that comment that Danielle realized that her host's voice was quite youthful. For the first time, she realized that the body she was a passenger in during this dream was that of a child. Probably no more than six or seven years old, if the voice was any indication. As if to confirm her suspicion, her arms lifted up to grasp at the clouds high above that would never be close enough for her fingers to pass through. Small hands and arms with graceful fingers arched towards the white-dappled blue skies.

"That cloud there? That's a great big dragon from the north! Come down to the mountain for a treasure horde to bathe in!" the childish voice cried excitedly. "And that one there? That is a man firing black arrows to foil the beast but he only manages to wound him!"

The elleth that had walked over laughed and flopped down on the ground beside Danielle. Golden eyes found hers and the reddish-blonde hair fanned out in a halo around her head. An amused smile crossed her lips. "And if the man does not defeat the dragon, who will? A dwarf? An elf?"

"No, a man will defeat the dragon," Danielle's host laughed as though this was something that should have been obvious, "it's just not _that_ man. His descendant will finish that beast after much sorrow and toil. Then, the great battle over the mountain and treasure will begin! Men, dwarves, elves and orcs and eagles will all fight to gain the wealth and power the mountain will possess! Even wizards will be there!"

"Is she telling another fantastic story?" a lazy voice drawled from behind them. Danielle's body sprung up instantly and gleeful laughter erupted from her as she raced towards the tall, blond ellon that spoke.

" _Ada!_ " she cried as she was scooped up and twirled in a large circle.

0o0o0o0

Danielle woke to find a small smile playing on her lips. She'd not had such a nice dream in a long time. She wished she could have dreams like that more often. Dreams of innocence and laughter and joyful talks about magical beasts that lived in fairy tales back home. It was at that moment that the woman realized the headache she'd been experiencing from the day before was gone. Her head hadn't felt so clear in days. A sigh of relief rushed out and she held her head in her hands with a feeling of gratefulness. _Finally, some peace!_ She thought.

"Miss Danielle? Are you hungry? We saved some food for you," Sam asked shyly, holding out a plate. There were plenty of fruits and vegetables on the plate, a bit of sausage and a small biscuit that must have been a baked good given by their hosts. She devoured the meal hungrily and gratefully. The blush Sam gave when she voraciously complimented his cooking of the sausages was amusing and adorable to her. She tried to imagine for a moment what hobbit children looked like. She pictured button noses, rosy cheeks, thick mops of curly hair bouncing excitedly as a wagon filled with fireworks rolled away. _That was oddly specific,_ she thought in amusement.

"Sam, you are the best cook I've ever met in all of Arda," she complimented him again, enjoying the flustered look he had when he took her empty plate.

"Pardon my saying, Miss Danielle, but... I'm the only cook you've met here," he stammered slightly. She laughed.

"Exactly! And now, all this world has quite the standard to live up to!"

"Now, just wait a minute! Teasing me like that isn't very nice," he said with slight indignation.

"My dear Sam, I wasn't teasing in the slightest. You are a talented cook. Not many people can make mushrooms and coneys together and have it taste even nearly so good as you do," she assured him with a gentle pat on the shoulder. He flushed and went about cleaning up the plates from breakfast, putting left overs in their proper packages for later when they had lunch. Looking around, she noticed that the sun was high in the sky through the canopy overhead. They had really let her sleep late. She must have really needed it.

"Where is everyone?" she asked as she realized that the others were no where to be found in the immediate vicinity. Amazingly, the dress she'd slept in hadn't a single wrinkle or stain in it when she woke up, so she didn't bother to change. She'd gotten somewhat used to wearing the same exact thing all the time and it wasn't like anything of hers was back yet. Her pack had been raided of all the clothes in it when she returned to the others the night before. The elves were mending and altering the clothes for her, as the green-eyed one had told her. Besides, she didn't see another dress laid out for her to wear.

"Not sure where Boromir, Aragorn and Gimli are. Mr. Frodo is still in his bed. Pippin and Merry said they were going exploring a little bit. That means they're looking for where they store the ale or wine, mind you!" he said with a knowing look and Danielle rolled her eyes. She had heard some mighty talk of drinking games during their travels and had no doubt they were trying to scrounge up something for toasting to Gandalf and then toasting to friends lost. And then perhaps a drinking game where you drink every time you name a dead relative.

"What about Legolas?" she asked curiously.

"I think he said something about training grounds or the like. He had his bow and quiver when he left this morning," he replied.

"Ah. Okay. I guess, I'll go find him since I have _some_ idea of where he is," she muttered. She thanked the stout hobbit and started wandering around beneath the trees. She didn't see many elves on the ground and the ones she did see didn't speak Westron. She managed to get one bookish elf, if there really was such a thing (especially since they all look like super models), to help her find her way when speaking failed and she pantomimed taking aim with a bow and shooting an arrow. She was led to a large, natural clearing where targets made of hay were leaning up against giant trees a great distance away.

There was only one figure on that field and as she drew closer, Danielle was positive it was the elf she was looking for. She wasn't even all that tired from the wound in her left shoulder. A surreptitious peek when her guide wasn't looking had revealed that the wound was nearly closed. _Elvish magic herb baths. We definitely need their recipes for back home. Do they have anything that makes you sparkle like those weirdo vampires from that book series? That might be cool._

She didn't get too close while he practiced. He didn't seem to need long to take aim before he loosed an arrow. It sang through the air before neatly burying itself in the target's precise center. He began walking, loosing arrow after arrow into target after target. Danielle was reminded of Robin Hood as she looked on. If she weren't so entranced by his fluid grace and how it translated into the deadly art he was obviously a master of, she would have started humming or singing, "We're men, manly men! We're men in tights! _Yess!_ We roam around the forest looking for fights! We're men! We're men in tights! We rob from the rich and give to the poor, that's right! We may look like _pansies_ but don't get us wrong or else we'll put out your lights!"

He'd been walking in her direction and barely even looked at the last target before his arrow flew. Each shot he'd taken on his way over hadn't deviated even one inch from the center of each target. She was impressed. _Really_ impressed. Blue eyes met her hazel ones. An eyebrow slowly raised in question.

"Wow. And I do mean, _wow._ That is truly an amazing skill you have," she told him as she looked over his handiwork. "I think if I tried to do something like that, I'd probably end up shooting myself in the foot. Twice."

"I doubt that your aim would be that dire," he replied dryly.

"The last time I tried _throwing_ something, I managed to hit myself in the face. My hand-eye coordination is just terrible. I'm really only good at talking to people and dancing. That's it, really. If it involves some kind of footwork, I'll learn it in no time at all. But if it involves me aiming and throwing? Disappointment reigns supreme," she snorted. The elf finally cracked a smile and laughed.

"Indeed, I will be sure not to give you anything sharp to throw in dire emergencies, lest you wound yourself grievously. You have already proven yourself to be exceptionally good at finding danger, we shall not give danger directly to you!" his eyes twinkled as he said this and Danielle couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up from her.

"You wound me with your wit!" she cried, her hand dramatically draped across her chest. "Perhaps you should simply take aim with that bow! Your arrow would strike true!"

"I find that I would not have the heart to loose that arrow if I should take aim, my lady. It would grieve me to strike the center of the target you would make," he laughed, though there was something more behind his words that Danielle couldn't place.

"You know, there is actually a song about being shot through the heart where I come from? I think I have it on my phone... I just need to find some sunlight to charge it, though. It was left on in Moria and the battery ran out."

"Battery?"

"The thing that brings it to life and allows me to play music," she explained. He nodded, though he was still unsure of what that was.

"What reason would there be a song about being shot through the heart? Did the person who wrote it wish for it or did it happen to one of his kin?" the elf asked thoughtfully. A giggle left the young woman and he gave her a confused look.

"I know a lot of the songs I've let you listen to or have sung for everyone have been rather straightforward about their meanings, but this song is more about love and heartbreak. We use a lot of..." she tried to think of a good word in Westron that would explain but couldn't think of any. "... _metaphors_ to explain things in ways others can understand easily."

"I see," he said conversationally, silently encouraging her to speak more.

"So... the song starts out with, 'Shot through the heart and you're to blame. Darling, you give love a bad name!'"

"Being shot through the heart is a... _metaphor_ for what?"

"It means that they were filled with love and heartache at the same exact time for someone."

That started him off on a whole other set of questions and they eventually went to sit on and near the roots of one of the great silvery trees. As they discussed one of Jon Bon Jovi's greatest songs, Legolas kept his blue eyes trained on the woman before him with an intensity that increased over the hours. They'd forgotten about going back for lunch and by the time Danielle's stomach growled for attention, it was nearly time for dinner. They'd talked extensively about the music in her phone, then had moved on to the differences between elvish music and her world's music. He was fascinated with all the types she'd discussed. He was also fascinated with the examples of the dancing she'd shown him on that tiny screen but hadn't had time in Moria to ask her more about them. It reminded him of her wound instantly.

"Your shoulder. How does it fare?" he asked softly. She put her fingers to it and had a slightly distant look to her eyes.

"It's much better, thank you. Which reminds me... I don't know if I was delirious from the poison but I swear that at one point, I saw... well, I saw... you. You were glowing. I mean really _glowing_ with this inner light. It was... familiar to me," she said with slight uncertainty.

"It was familiar?" he asked in a puzzled tone.

"It was like when I got bit by the Black Widow," she explained. "You remember, I told you that story about the spider bite on my leg?"

Legolas nodded, still puzzled as to what this had to do with the healing he'd done only a few days before.

"Well, when I told you that I should have died from that bite, I wasn't kidding. The doctors, healers, whatever you want to call them... They said that there was nothing they could do for me. They told my parents to make arrangements for the funeral because I wasn't going to last the night," her eyes grew distant as she remembered to that time, nearly twenty years before. "I told my parents what I'm about to tell you. They didn't believe me. They said that I was just too sick to know what was real and what wasn't real, so they told me that I must have hallucinated it all."

"Hallucinated what?"

"The man. I was laying in my bed and I was in so much pain... I'd never felt anything like it before in my life. It was like I was being cut with a thousand knives all at once. Nothing would dull the pain," she shivered slightly at the memory. Pain could give her nightmares like nothing else. "Then a young man came into the room. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen in my life. He was taller than my father and had this long, dark hair that went to the middle of his back. And his eyes! I thought they looked like the clouds from a summer storm, they were so grey. But he was so kind and gentle that I wasn't scared of him."

The elf-prince froze. The description she gave could have been Elrond or either of his twin sons.

"I thought he was an angel coming to claim my soul from my body so that I could go to the next life. But he just put his hand on my head and told me that I was going to get better. And then... he put his other hand on my chest, over my heart, and started to say something beautiful. He glowed when he said those things, Legolas. Just like I saw you glow. It was bright and beautiful and peaceful. So... Did I imagine that you glowed?"

Legolas stared at her silently for a few long moments. She began to fidget under his gaze after a while, so he took a deep breath and explained, as best as he knew how.

"You did not imagine it, Danielle," his familiarity with her name had not ceased now that she was awake and more alert. "It is difficult to explain but you did not imagine it."

"Did anyone else see it? The glow, I mean?" she asked eagerly.

"No, they did not. As I said, it is difficult to explain easily," he was evasive in his answer.

"If they didn't see it, then I must have imagined it," she reasoned with a slightly deflated attitude. Her eyes wandered over to one of the targets that still held an arrow.

"Danielle," he said softly, capturing her attention. "You did not imagine it."

"What did I see, then?" she challenged, starting to become a little frustrated. He sighed. It was always difficult for him to explain how this worked but he would try.

"What I did to help you is an ancient magic my people can to use to help heal wounds and treat poisons. The magic used in healing one can be unpredictable when you don't know what you're doing, so many elves learn the basics to treat minor wounds and poisons in the world. This magic comes from deep within and for it to work, we use a part of our fëa, our _soul._ It reaches out to the fëa and body of the wounded and makes a connection. When you saw me glowing, Danielle, you were seeing my fëa reaching out to yours, healing the damage done by that wound. Only you could have seen it because my fëa was only reaching out to you," he said after a moment of deep thought.

"So... your soul touched mine and healed it? The poison on that orc blade was a soul poison too?"

"The poison works on both, yes. The aethelas will heal the body and the soul if it is applied to the wound within the first few hours, in the right amount. Because we did not have enough in Moria, the wound got worse and the poison spread. That was why you needed my aid to overcome it."

"Wow... Those orcs are thorough," she shook her head. "I guess overkill is their favorite word."

Legolas chuckled. "Yes, I imagine it would be among their most prized words."

They both had a good laugh as they walked back to where the rest of the Fellowship was resting, oblivious to the jealous eyes that followed them from two different places among the Golden Wood.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thank you to my reviewers Puffgirl1952 the 2nd, jshaw0624, dragon slayer bye the book, RedBear5 and Guest. You're awesome!**_

0o0o0o0

Haldir felt slightly uncomfortable as he stood beside the small camp, waiting. It wasn't the presence of the men, the hobbits or even the dwarf that caused this feeling. It was more because of the woman he was waiting for. She'd been in the bath house for quite some time now. Apparently, she enjoyed bathing quite a bit. The company had been in the city for three days now and she was finally being summoned by the Lord and Lady of the Wood. When they learned that Gandalf had intended for her to come here, it became important for them to see her. As he understood it, she was still weak from her wound. The Marchwarden knew he would either have to help her walk or carry her.

If he were honest with himself, it was because she looked so much like _her_ that left him uneasy. Her voice was slightly lower, her hair color was so much darker except for the streaks of silver blonde and her eyes were a mixture of hazel and green that was both foreign and familiar. Haldir shook his head. There was nothing for it.

When the woman finally emerged, she was clothed in another borrowed dress. It was a sky blue that had shorter sleeves than some dresses did and was so long on her that she held great big bunches of it in one hand as she walked so that she wouldn't trip. Haldir had heard the Gondorian captain had suggest that she take her knife and cut the hem to a better length but she had flushed and said that she couldn't do something so rude to something that didn't belong to her.

"It doesn't belong to me, so I don't get to decide what to do with it," she had said before going off to her bath. He'd been too far away for them to see at the time, being high up in the boughs of the tree. He was on his way down to retrieve her and now that she had finally returned, he was able to carry out his duty to his Lord and Lady.

"Lady Danielle," Haldir greeted coolly. She seemed slightly startled, as if she hadn't noticed him there.

"Haldir, right?" she asked with a little hesitancy. She'd been calling him _Headache_ in English for the last few days and he'd been a good sport, especially since he didn't know what it meant. Legolas had chuckled at the nickname for a couple of days before coaching her on his real name. She still called him _Headache_ when she thought he was out of earshot. Which wasn't often, though she didn't know that.

"The Lord and Lady require your presence," he said smoothly. She looked up at the tree they were likely to climb and gave a deep sigh of resignation. "I will assist you."

"Haven't you guys heard of elevators?" she asked sullenly as he offered his arm to her. He gave her a confused look while Legolas, who was nearby, gave a small smile. She'd explained the concept to him once. It both fascinated and amused him that mortals were so innovative, yet so lazy where she came from. He could see the benefits of such a device but knew people would become complacent, as they already had in her world.

Danielle shifted so that she was leaning slightly on the elf as he guided her up the stairs. They stopped once to let her rest. The second time, Haldir just picked her up wordlessly amidst her protests and carried her the rest of the way. By the time they reached the top, she was glowering at the side of his face with her arms crossed over her chest and he was successfully suppressing the amused smirk that wished to break across his face. Some of the things she'd said when he picked her up were absolutely ridiculous. Apparently, having a father that stinks of elderberries was supposed to be some kind of insult. Haldir quite liked the smell of elderberries. And he wasn't sure exactly what a _hamster_ was but he was positive his mother didn't resemble one in the slightest.

When he set her down, she glared at him as best as she could. He had brought her to some kind of study where there were four chairs surrounding a table. There were a few small bookcases strewn about the room, a couple of comfortable looking chairs and a fireplace, which really blew Danielle's mind. _A fireplace in a **tree.**_ _Not gonna touch that with a ten foot pole._ She waited for him to glance at her or to leave but he was stoic in appearance as he waited with her. Already bored and slightly impatient, Danielle decided to see if she could make the Marchwarden blush. Or get a headache. It was the least he deserved for making her head feel like it was being run over by a train for the first couple of days she'd been there, she reasoned.

She decided that a song would be the best route to go. So far, the only music she'd sung to the Company had been of innocent natures and fun beats to work with while she figured out the best approximation of that song in Westron. Of course, Legolas knowing English had made some of that easier. But it also made it more difficult in other respects. Once or twice before they'd reached Moria, she'd let the elf peruse the music on her phone after a good charge and in one instance she had left it on shuffle when she let him listen to it. That had resulted in some embarrassing questions regarding some of the songs he'd had the... pleasure... of hearing. She hadn't been able to stop blushing when he delicately asked in English, "What is a thong? Why would someone want to see it?"

Even more embarrassing? "What is a minute man? What does he do? Is there some task he is unsuited to?"

The brunette still had trouble with speaking whenever he would bring that question up. She got the feeling that he continued to ask because it got her flustered. She had refused to answer the Minute Man Question, as she had started to call it. But the thongs? She had quite enjoyed his blush when she explained that it was a type of undergarment worn only by women and exactly how it fit, what it did and did not cover and why women wear them. The pure shock and disbelief on his face had been worth every second of her own discomfort.

"Haldir? Have you heard any of the songs of my people?" she asked innocently.

"I have heard a few songs of men," he answered stiffly. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was up to something.

"Not just songs of men," she laughed with a shake of her head. Danielle wondered where the Lord and Lady were. They had wanted to see her so badly but now they were late? "Songs of _my_ people. Where I'm from. I don't think any of the hobbits have been running around and singing them, have they?"

"I know not," he replied.

"Well, while we're waiting... I thought I'd sing one. If you don't mind, that is."

"I _care_ not," his drawl was all she needed to start. He was starting to sound irritated.

"Well, a Scotsman clad in kilt left a bar on evening fair!

And one could tell by how we walked that he drunk more than his share!

He fumbled round until he could no longer keep his feet,

Then he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street!

Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh!

He stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street," Danielle wanted to giggle with glee at the slightly bored look in the Marchwarden's eye.

"About that time two young and lovely girls just happened by.

And one says to the other with a twinkle in her eye,

'See yon sleeping Scotsman so strong and handsome built?

I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath the kilt? Tee hee!'

Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh!

'I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath the kilt!'" she sang that with a little giggle on the end, one hand covering her mouth as though she was about to tell a secret that was meant to be kept.

"They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman quiet as could be," she grinned and made a shushing sound with one finger to her lips as she slowly crept towards him. She'd wandered to the other side of the study, oblivious to the fact that there were two amused elves that stood in the doorway. Haldir had not noticed them either. His eyes were suddenly fixed on the woman, though you would not have been able to decide if the stare he was giving was amused, disgusted or interested. Or, perhaps it was all three?

"Lifted up his kilt about an inch so they could see!" as this part was sung, she pantomimed lifting a cloth up. However, she lifted the imaginary kilt hem by about a foot and gave an exaggerated gasp of surprise.

"And there behold, for them to see, beneath his Scottish skirt,

Was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth! _Oh!"_ she placed the back of her right hand against her forehead as though she might faint and took an exaggerated step back. Haldir raised an eyebrow and attempted to quell the rising color in his cheeks.

"Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh!

Was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth!

"They marveled for a moment..." at this, she paused and looked amazed, giving a breathy sigh. Haldir's ears were beginning to burn at the tips. This was _not_ an appropriate song for _any_ woman to be singing. "Wow...! Then one said, 'we must be gone!'

'Let's leave a present for our friend, before we move along!'

As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon, tied into a bow

Around the bonnie star, the Scots kilt did lift and show, _woo!_

Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh!

Around the bonnie star, the Scots kilt did lift and show!

Now the Scotsman woke to nature's call and stumbled towards a tree

Behind a bush, he lifts his kilt and gawks at what he sees

And in a startled voice he says to what's before his eyes,

'O lad I don't know where you been... but I see you won first prize!' Woo!

Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh!

'O lad I don't know where you been but I see you won first prize!'"

If the color red that Haldir had turned during the song didn't have a name, Danielle decided it should be named after the very elf that produced it. She couldn't help but laugh at the way his mouth opened briefly and then shut as if he didn't know what was meant to come out of it. He opened it again and then shut it swiftly again. Then he bowed slightly to the two elves that had been silently bearing witness to the strangeness that was Danielle Barr and her mischievous side that had come out to play.

Without having to walk constantly, she was becoming a ball of energy that she didn't know what to do with and since she didn't have any big speakers to attach to the phone, now that it was completely charged again, she couldn't feel comfortable with playing some music and dancing to one of the old routines she had recorded on the device. She had to get her kicks somewhere.

She also needed to remain distracted. She'd been so awed and amazed by wondrous realm she'd been in that she hadn't had time to think about Gandalf dying until that morning. It had struck her like lightning when Sam had casually asked her how she was doing. At first, she was about to say that she was fine. Then, this ball of pain welled up in her throat and choked the answer before it could emerge. She just gave a thin smile and nodded, trying to swallow it back down. It didn't work. When she was given a new dress for her to wear that day, she took the bundle and silently trudged to the baths. She was a little stronger now. It was the blood loss that was making her tired.

In the bath house, she climbed into the steaming waters and the pain that welled up inside just burst forth. She sobbed, arms wrapped around her middle in an attempt to pull those emotions back into her core and hide them. It didn't work. Danielle leaned her head against the edge of the spring and let go of all the weight that was sitting on her heart. She belatedly realized that she was crying not just for the loss of the old man that had become a dear friend to her in so little time; she wept for the family she hadn't seen in such a long time, for the life that she wasn't sure she'd ever see again. She wept for all the pain and suffering she'd endured since her arrival in this world, for the pain and suffering she'd endured even before then. A dam had broken and everything was flooding out in that quiet, private space.

She cried for so long and so hard that when she finally had the sense to actually bathe, her fingers had turned to prunes and her hair had tangled itself in the water as it floated around her. It took her a good, long while to get the knots and snarls out again, to feel like she could get out of the water without shattering into a million pieces. She had dried off and stared at herself in the mirror for a while before braiding her hair back. When she'd arrived back to the camp with the company, she had been in a world of her own, trying to think desperately of what she could do to make the thudding pain in her heart go away. Then she saw Haldir.

Now, as she stood before the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel once again, she couldn't find it in herself to be embarrassed by her display. She'd meant to make the stoic, strange elf that stared at her blush and had accomplished her mission. Now, she would see if there were any answers for her. Judging by the look in their eyes, they knew something about why she was here, if not how, and when she could go back home. That was something that she looked forward to quite desperately. She enjoyed the new friends she'd made but Danielle hadn't enjoyed the fire monsters and the wolves from hell. She wanted to go home.

It didn't matter that this was the most exciting, amazing thing she'd ever done in her life. It didn't matter that being with the group of men, hobbits, one elf, one dwarf and a wizard had been the most fun she'd had in a long while that didn't make her heart ache or cry because of past memories. It didn't matter that she'd enjoyed adventure stories similar to this in recent years. Mind you, those were romance novels that had bare-chested muscular men staring off into the distance with smoldering eyes... Intense blue eyes instantly came to mind and she shook her head. _Nope. Don't do that to yourself. You're going home._ She looked expectantly at the two elves, sure that this was going to be a meeting she'd never forget as she gave a slight but respectful bow in their direction. _Be nice to your hosts and your hosts will be nice to you._

0o0o0o0

The pale, angry woman that Haldir deposited back in the camp a few hours later very nearly had steam coming out of her ears and it was her rigid posture that prevented the hobbits from coming near her. They had seen such a posture on Gandalf when he was very cross; even Pippin didn't dare to approach. He might have been the dullest knife in the drawer about some things but on this? He was not going to be the sacrificial lamb that attempted to bring her out of her foul mood.

"Nothing they can do..." she muttered as she clenched her fists and then relaxed them. "This is my world now...? What the _actual_ _fuck?!"_

She kicked her pack on the ground with as much viciousness as she could muster. It didn't fly far. Danielle didn't even look at the hobbits.

"Danielle, are you all right?" Boromir asked softly as he came back to the camp. Clearly, this was the wrong thing to say or do because instead of a response, she just glared angrily and stomped off. The Gondorian was completely confused. He was certain that he hadn't done anything to incur her wrath and he had only just come back from the training grounds where he'd been going through the sword positions and techniques he'd learned since he was a boy. Glancing towards the hobbits, they gave him a sympathetic look.

"She was just with the Lady Galadriel," Sam explained. "I reckon it wasn't good news."

Boromir nodded. That would more than explain the attitude she had. The man could tell by how she stalked off that she was not to be trifled with and that she needed a few moments to herself. With that knowledge, he sat down and went about sharpening his sword. His time training had alerted him to some dull spots and nicks from Moria and he had no intention of letting a dull blade slow him down during what may yet come.

It was during this time that Danielle, who was quickly tiring after her theatrics, realized that she had not paid attention to where she was going when she stormed away from the camp she had been sharing with the others. She was lost and she wasn't going to let her angry pride be damaged by stopping someone and asking for directions. Instead, she kept her angry huffing and puffing as she attempted to storm off further in a direction that looked somewhat recognizable. The fact was that she just hadn't been in the Golden Wood long enough to know what was supposed to be recognizable and what was supposed to be off limits. And she was approaching an area that was most definitely off limits.

Thus, when two blond elves dropped from a hidden talan above her without even a warning, she yelped and fell flat on her backside with a bright red flush of embarrassment and misdirected anger. The two elves that had suddenly blocked her path were very similar in appearance and it took her a moment to realize where she'd seen them before. _It's Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum!_ Danielle thought as she raised an indignant eyebrow. They were the elves that had been carrying the litter she'd laid on for most of the journey to Caras Galadhon. As she remembered it, they were the younger brothers of Haldir. Orophin and... what was the other one's name? Oh, yeah. Rúmil.

"You could at least say something!" she growled as she got back to her feet. They gave her an amused look. They tried to speak to her in Sindarin but the blank look she gave them indicated that she had no idea what they'd just said.

"Our Westron not fluid," Rúmil said brokenly but he grinned and bowed slightly to her in a playful manner. This just served to irritate her at the moment. She was trying to be angry, damn it! She had every right to be angry.

"Fluent. The word is fluent," she bit out. Normally the young woman had quite a bit of patience. She was completely out of it at the moment. She wanted to _go home._ She had always thought going on some kind of adventure would be fun when she was a kid. Children tend to forget that adventures can be dangerous. A friend had died. She'd been injured. She was _changing_. That was the most terrifying part of Danielle's adventure. She was becoming something different than she was before and she had no idea what that meant.

"We keep safe. Woods safe. No leave woods now. _Yrch_ out woods," Orophin stated and then pointed at her. "You back. Go."

Danielle suddenly felt like a defiant teenager and proved it by crossing her arms and sending up the most haughty look she could to them both. She was not in the mood to be trifled with and when she was in a bad mood or didn't get her way, she tended to be more like an angry child than a grown woman.

"I don't feel like it. I'm sick of being told what to do and I just want to be left alone."

The two elves glanced at each other. Neither one had more than a tentative grasp of Westron but they had the gist of what she was saying. Unfortunately, she couldn't go any further. She was already on the inner border of the woods. The two of them had been watching her for the last few days while their brother attended to some business. They were astonished by how much of a resemblance there was between this woman and the one they knew so long ago. Her hair was much different in color and texture, her eyes were a different color as well but her facial features? They were mesmerized by the similarities.

In fact, most of the elves that had seen her had taken to gossip. Some whispered that it was just a disguise. Some claimed magic and sorcery was to blame for the closely matching features. But those who had met her and had been around her would quietly testify that the physical similarities were not the end of this story. She was much shorter than _her._ But the personalities? The sudden quips that left her companions stifling smiles or struggling to swallow their drink rather than spit it out in shock? The fact that she had gotten their older brother, the Marchwarden of Lothlórien, to turn into a wordless tomato with a song was already spreading amongst the ranks and that had happened perhaps two hours before. _She_ had such pull, long ago.

They were broken from their inner musings when the woman began to walk around them.

"Not safe," Rúmil tried again as he gently grabbed her arm. She huffed angrily but didn't resist. She was spent. "Come."

"Nothing is ever safe," she muttered as they gently led her back the way she came. Danielle spotted a garden that she hadn't noticed on her first angry stomp session and pulled her arm from the elf's hand. The brothers looked at each other briefly as she walked over to a set of benches that were ensconced in a thick patch of flowers that Danielle couldn't even name. They were yellow flowers that looked like little starbursts. The brothers stared at her for a short time before deciding that she probably wanted to be alone. That was why she'd stormed away from her camp, wasn't it?

0o0o0o0

Aragorn was the one to find Danielle many hours later. When she hadn't shown up for lunch or dinner, the hobbits, Merry and Pippin particularly, had been ready to launch a rescue mission of their own. It was the promise that Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas would go looking for her that had kept them from what surely would have been an impressive campaign of terror against the elves that they would have come across. Legolas had commented that it was likely that the two would have made it a priority to search every nook and cranny of the kitchens and food stores for the woman. Sam might have been interested in helping them.

When the ranger discovered where she was, he wondered why no one had deigned to tell her that it was Galadriel's private garden that she was currently intruding on. Then, he wondered if Galadriel had ordered that everyone leave her be there. She was sitting on a bench that was surrounded by élanor flowers. It was a beautiful area that had many kinds of flowers but that particular area was filled with the élanors. She seemed entranced by the delicate little buds and the soft yellow petals.

"Élanor." Danielle's head snapped up in surprise. She'd been sitting by herself, mulling over her meeting with the rulers of this wood and what it all meant. She hadn't been bothered since she sat down and hadn't even realized that night had fallen.

"What?"

"Tis the name of the flower."

"Oh. That's a beautiful name. It's actually a name that many women have back home," she answered as she resumed her study. "But it so much prettier when it's said in that pretty language you and Legolas speak."

"Do you not speak it too?" Aragorn asked quietly as he came to sit next to her. She rolled her eyes.

"I wish. I don't think I could say anything in that language that would sound even close to what it should," she laughed as she fingered one of the flowers before gently picking it and bringing it to her nose. It smelled so sweet, it made her giddy.

"You spoke it not one week ago," he pointed out. She scoffed.

"Yeah and not one week ago, I was suffering from a poisonous wound. I was delirious. I probably said a lot of things. Doesn't mean I know what I was saying," she shook her head. With a deep sigh, she looked up to the canopy above her. The world around her was glowing softly.

"You said some things that were most decidedly not random, Danielle."

"You know, there's an animal back home called a chimpanzee. It's a pretty smart animal. Scientists have proven that humans are only different than them because of a difference of about .02% of our DNA. That's stuff in the blood," she explained at his slightly confused look. "Anyway, it was shown that if you give enough of them this device called a _typewriter_ that eventually, with enough random touches to the device, they could type out the complete works of a great writer named William Shakespeare. Doesn't mean that they knew what they were doing. It was all random."

"If it was all random, my lady, then why did you say that you were in torment? That you were in hell?" Aragorn ventured further, his keen eyes watching her carefully. That question made her go rigid. She looked over to him with slightly haunted eyes.

"I said what?"

"You told Legolas in Sindarin that you were in torment, that you were in hell. You told him that you were being tortured by someone in the darkness."

The ranger watched her reaction carefully. Apparently, something about that upset her greatly. Gently, he placed a hand over hers. She had let her eyes drift away from him but they snapped back to him at that moment.

"What ails you?" he asked quietly.

"I... I've been having nightmares..."

"About...?" he gently prompted.

"It started out with a room. A room of stone that was dark and moist, like with a dungeon. And there was a voice speaking in this guttural language... It said it could see me the first time I had it..." she looked at him with tired eyes. "Galadriel knew about the nightmares, Aragorn. She talked to me about them when I met with her today."

"What happened during that meeting? What did she say?"

Danielle's thoughts drifted back to the meeting, as they had been since she'd sat down.

 _"Haldir, you may leave. We will call for you when it is time to return her to the camp," the elleth said with an amused smile on her face. Lord Celeborn was amused as well but did a much better job of hiding it. Only the slightest quirk of his lips indicated his thoughts on the scene they had encountered. The flushing Marchwarden bowed stiffly and left without a word. He knew that the elves posted as guards just outside the study had heard everything and as soon as he passed them with the blush he had yet to control, he knew they would be spreading the word. Haldir was sure he was never going to live this down._

 _It was just a matter of time before the ranks were whispering about this. Thankfully, the only ones who would be brave enough to mention it to his face would be his brothers. He prayed fervently to the Valar that this particular nugget of information would pass them by. It was a foolish prayer. He knew it even before he made it._

 _Meanwhile, Danielle and the Chernobyl Twins, as she wanted to call them now, were quietly looking each other over. Galadriel hadn't tried to look into her mind again, of that the brunette was certain. She had a sneaking suspicion that she would have had another nosebleed or worse if she had._

 _"Tell me, child, how you came to be in this Company?" Lord Celeborn asked sagely. He gestured to one of the comfy chairs that adorned the room. Danielle didn't need to be asked twice. She sat down and was pleased with how soft it was._

 _"I was caught in a flash flood while I was out camping. I was supposed be meeting with my parents and we were going to spend a weekend out in the wilderness. I was swept out towards the river and when I woke up, I was lost. I thought I was still in_ Michigan _but I wasn't. I lost most of my food supplies and was injured. I was nearly dead by the time they found me. I'd been lost and starving for nearly a month. It was pure luck that they found me when they did," she began. "They fixed my wound and fed me. I didn't understand a single word anyone was saying until they started teaching me Westron. And then Gandalf..."_

 _She choked on the name for a moment, the memory of his fall against that fire monster overwhelming her again. She bit her tongue until she tasted a bit of blood before she could speak again, though she had to swallow a bit before she did._

 _"Gandalf did something to make it easier for me to learn, I guess? I'm not sure what he did but it hurt. A lot. And then I started learning Westron a lot faster."_

 _"What of the nightmares?" Lady Galadriel asked suddenly and Danielle froze._

 _"What nightmares?" she asked slowly. The knowing look she received made her want to wither away. She swallowed thickly and looked down. "Oh... Those nightmares..."_

 _"Yes."_

 _"They started up after I met up with the guys."_

 _"What do you see?" the question Danielle wanted to ask was why this elleth was even bothering to ask? She'd seen into her head enough to know she was having nightmares. Couldn't she just hit the rewind in there and see for herself?_

 _"I see a dark room. It changes every time. First, it was just smelly and scary with a scary voice speaking. Then there was a chair with chains and blood. Then... I was in the chair. I was the one chained down. I... I was being tortured for information but..."_

 _"Go on." It wasn't prodding, the way she said it. It was like she was getting the woman to admit to something she didn't want to admit to._

 _"I wasn't the one talking," she said suddenly. "It wasn't me. It was someone else. I was just along for the ride."_

 _"What information was being tortured out of her?" Lord Celeborn asked softly._

 _"I don't know. She never told them anything. She was there for so long... and never told them anything. She even told them to just kill her and those she loved because she wouldn't say a word."_

 _This gave the two elves in front of her pause. They looked at each other in such a way that Danielle was sure that some kind of special, psychic communication was going on between the two of them. They turned to look at her in unison and it was just creepy for her to see. She had to stop herself from giving an involuntary shudder._

 _"Was there anymore to these dreams?" Danielle was starting to get pissed. They were more interested in her dreams than helping her find a way home? Than telling her how she even got here? What the_ actual _fuck?_

 _"Yeah. I got to be there, front row and center, when I had a nightmare about being gang raped by a bunch of filthy orcs and monsters. Except it wasn't me. It was her. And she was so torn up inside and out from it that she didn't stop bleeding for hours and hours after they were done. And she was dying. I could feel myself_ dying. _And then just as I was about to be rescued, I woke up. Now, you want to tell me what the_ hell _is so damn interesting about my dreams when I'd really just like to know how I got here and how I can go back home?"_

 _Both elves in front of her paled at the description she'd just given them of the last nightmare she'd had. She felt that if they wanted to know her nightmares, now they did. She wouldn't bother to tell them about the good dreams she'd been having since she got here. They didn't deserve that just yet. Galadriel seemed to be the first of the two to regain her voice._

 _"Child, we know not how you came to be in Middle Earth. We have never heard of such a thing, of people coming from other worlds to this one. You are a part of this world now. It_ is _your world now," the elleth said softly but with an air of authority._

 _"No. Sorry, wrong answer. But you do get this lovely teacup as a consolation prize. I'd like the correct answer, please. How did I get here and, more importantly, how do I get home?"_

 _"My dear child... There is nothing we can do to help you. The power of the Elves cannot send you back to the world from whence you came. What forces brought you here are beyond our ability to counteract."_

 _"So, what? I'm supposed to just accept that I can never go back? What exactly am I supposed to do while I'm here, hm? I don't have any trade skills. I can knit and crochet and sew but the first two on that list are strictly scarves and blankets and hats, okay? I barely put hats on that list as it is because they come out extra big and rarely how I like. And sewing? I made a skirt for my mother once and she said it was the thought that counted. Let's not even mention other household stuff. I'm terrible at keeping things clean. So, I guess domestic stuff is out, right?" she was fuming as she got on a roll. The last sentence was dripping with sarcasm._

 _The elves sitting before her were serene and simply watched her as she stood up and walked over to the fireplace. Her anger was rising fast and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to contain herself for too much longer. "So, what about positions outside of the home? Oh! Right! Forgot! In this world, women that_ aren't _elves are basically baby machines that only do the domestic stuff. Right. So, my options are pretty limited here, aren't they? Either become a baby machine and clean the house or clean the house and become a baby machine. Oh, what will I ever do?"_

 _"You could stay here, in Caras Galadhon."_

 _The suggestion threw her for a loop. She turned and gaped at them for a good, long minute._

 _"Stay here? With the elves?"_

 _"You would not be expected to simply become anything other than what you would choose to be." The sentence from Lord Celeborn seemed oddly loaded and from the strange looks she was receiving from both of them, they were hinting at something but Danielle was too furious to even bother with thinking about it or asking._

 _"So, instead of looking for a way home, you would have me stay here and do... whatever I felt like doing?"_

 _"Yes." It was a straight up invitation to pure laziness and the freedom to do whatever she wanted. It was like winning the lottery. Except she didn't feel like this was a win. Oddly enough, she felt like this was the lure to some kind of trap and she didn't want to touch the cheese, for fear of springing the trap into action. She suddenly felt uncertain about everything. Except her anger. That was the only thing that remained clear to her. She was still absolutely_ pissed _that they couldn't or wouldn't help her find a way home._

 _"I'll... think about it," she responded with an effort to be diplomatic. She couldn't make her hosts mad after only a few days. That's a really bad move, first of all. Secondly, she wanted to stay with the fellowship. She knew them and trusted them. She didn't trust these people yet. They hadn't earned it. The conversation turned to other things after that, but Danielle was still fuming by the time Haldir came and picked her up. Literally. Without her permission._

Aragorn listened intently to the story. He'd been lurking in the trees when she'd initially been brought before the Lord and Lady and had been there still when Haldir had returned her. Legolas had been in the camp when Haldir had taken her for the meeting but had been bidden to visit with friends of his father shortly afterwards, so he had not been in the camp when she'd been returned.

Gimli had missed the fact that she'd been returned as well because he'd decided to do some training with axes and throwing axes. Aragorn had seen Boromir head early that morning into the training fields with his word to practice. He'd seen the slightly confused and crestfallen look on the man's face when Danielle had given him that glare. It had been a powerful glare, at that. He would have guessed it would normally cause the subjects of it to burst into flame.

"Why did you say nothing of these nightmares?" he asked gently. Danielle's hazel eyes went to the ranger. The troubled look in them returned.

"It's just stress. That's all. I'm sure of it. I mean, who wouldn't be stressed when they get tossed into another world, right? And not to mention orcs! Those things look like walking scar tissue," she shuddered at the memory of the orcs and goblins from Moria. "And remember the wargs? Yeah. I think it's all stress."

"Danielle..."

"Look, I'm really tired and irritated. I've already talked about the nightmares with Galadriel and I just rehashed it with you. Do you mind if I get some rest before I have to talk about it again? Please?"

Aragorn looked at her evenly for a moment. Although they had not spoken overly much during the time they'd traveled together, he had come to think of her as a little sister in some ways. At times, she was obnoxious and unruly. But she was still young and this journey had taken a toll on her. Especially her time out in the Wild alone. For someone as ill prepared as she was when she arrived in Arda, he couldn't help but to admire her tenacity and her will to survive. Nearly a month with hardly any food and an injury was impressive. Slowly, he nodded.

"Very well. But we will speak of this. And if there are any nightmares in the future, I would ask that you at least come and speak with me of it. I would have my friends rest easy, if I can help them."

Danielle heaved a small sigh of relief before she smiled at him. "Fine. I promise. Thanks, Aragorn. I really appreciate it. Now, where is camp again? I kind of stormed off and I have no idea where I am right now."


	12. Chapter 12

_**My thanks to Biku-sensei-sez-meow, ZabuzasGirl, waterflower63, SamandJake, xcislyfe22, Guests 1, 2, 3 and 4, and Puffgirl1952 the 2nd for your reviews over the last couple months. So sorry this chapter took a while to get out. And thanks again to SamandJake for being so kind to check on me and see how I was doing. You showed genuine concern for my wellbeing because I haven't posted in a while and it isn't often that people will do that.**_

 _ **As you guys may recall, I got a new job recently and I was rocking out chapters while I was in training because whenever I had downtime, I would let those creative juices flow. Now that I've been doing actual work for the last couple of months, I've been so exhausted by the time I get home that I just fall right to sleep. Hardly any time for real rest when I'm working and although I do get regular breaks, I find I'm still working during them because there's so much to do. So, in the meantime, I've been fiddling with this chapter that I've had prepared. Ish. I had it going in one direction and made some revisions to sway it in another direction. So, here it is. Ready to be seen. I hope you guys enjoy it. It was an interesting process to write it because… well, my ADHD really decided to shine through while I was writing this chapter. And I don't know if you can tell but Danielle has ADHD, too… Anyway, on with the story!**_

0o0o0o0

She was dreaming again. She knew this quite well because of how short she was, her youthful voice and the elves she recognized here were not in the waking world. Not that she knew of, anyway. The one that her host called 'Ada' was currently cheerfully swinging her around and laughing in time with her. They'd been playing a game of some sort and the girl had won, though Danielle suspected that he had let her win. Slightly dizzy from the swinging, the child was set on her feet and she swayed for a moment before her balance restored itself. She rushed out towards the elleth that had featured in her dream the last time. Her smile was infectious.

"Nana!" she cried, "Did you see? I won against Ada!"

"I saw, penneth!" she greeted her with a laugh. "You did very well. Perhaps once you have mastered that game, you can finally master your bow as you promised Haldir. As I understand it, you are meant to meet with him this afternoon for training, is that right?"

"Yes, Nana," she nodded enthusiastically. "I will become a warden of the Golden Wood one day. I will keep our lands safe by Ada's side."

"Then you must train well, Mírel. You know how hard your ada toils as a warden," the elleth smiled as she ran her fingers through the child's hair. _Mírel? Is that her name? Our name?_ Danielle wondered as she watched through the eyes of the child as her mother leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her crown before her father came to lead her to the training grounds.

What was strange about this dream was how real it seemed to Danielle. She was the silent observer inside a child's head as her father joked and laughed as he led his daughter to a silvery-haired elf that Danielle recognized as the one that had given her the headache. Mr. Headache turned and smiled warmly at her, something that Danielle had never seen before and was astonished to see it now.

"Penneth, you have arrived!" he laughed jovially and Danielle was flabbergasted at the tinkling sound and delight it actually brought. It appeared that this Haldir was a much different elf than the one she had met less than a week before. Even more strange than how real the dream felt was that Danielle was starting to feel the emotions of the child strongly. As if those emotions were her own. And she was so _happy_ to see Haldir. Like an old friend or playmate she didn't get to see often.

"Yes, Haldir! I am ready to become a warden!" she laughed as he picked her up and spun her around much like her father would.

"A warden? So soon? And here I thought I would have time to train you," he joked as he placed her back on the ground. "I heard your ada had a gift for you. Did he not give it yet?"

She turned to her father excitedly and he pulled a package from behind a tree that she had not noticed. It was wrapped in a fine cloth that was silky to the touch. He handed her the oblong parcel and she eagerly but gently removed it. Inside was a bow and quiver of fine quality that was just the perfect size for her to learn the delicate and deadly craft.

The awe she felt was mirrored strongly inside of Danielle as she watched. The child's hands gently traced the lovingly carved bow that she knew her father had made. Flowers and mallorn leaves wound about the surface like a vine and were painted a golden color, standing in a fine relief against the finely polished grey and brown wood the bow was made from. But that was not all that was in the package.

Small hands pulled at a sword that was tucked behind the quiver. It was light, made of mithril, and the flowing Tengwar script that curved with the blade were spells that would make the blade glow blue in the presence or orcs and goblins. The hilt was also patterned with golden flowers and mallorn leaves. The child looked up to her father and Danielle could feel the small tears well and fall from their eyes. This was a gift beyond what the child could have ever hoped for and her gratitude was stunning to feel. She gently laid the gifts down and ran to her father, leaping to wrap her arms around his neck -

0o0o0o0

Danielle sat up full of confusion. What had awakened her? This was one of those nice dreams. And yes, it was strange that Haldir was in it but that didn't diminish how happy she was to have it. It irked her that she'd been disturbed from it. Blinking hazily, she noted that Sam was getting back up from where he'd obviously tripped; her leg ached slightly and she realized that she was what he had tripped over. She immediately felt bad and sat up slightly.

"Are you okay Sam?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep as she asked the question. He blushed at her attention and nodded.

"Yes, Miss Danielle. I'm fine. I should be asking you if you're all right. I might have hurt your leg or twisted something on you!" he sounded amazingly guilty for having done something by accident. Giving a throaty chuckle she shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. It was an accident. If anything, it just tells me that I need to stop moving all over the place when I sleep. When I was a child, my parents told me that I used to walk in my sleep and just sprawl on the ground wherever I pleased. Usually in the spots where people were trying to walk. I remember this one time in particular where I woke up to breakfast being cooked and I was curled up on the kitchen floor with my ratty old yellow blanket that I took everywhere. Now that was something to be embarrassed about! And that blanket had seen much better days. I think I still have it somewhere at home..." she muttered thoughtfully before an unusual pang of homesickness hit her at the thought. Of all the things that would finally get her to really feel that way, it was that _yellow blankie._ Who would have thought?

Danielle forced herself to concentrate on the present. Sam was giving her a look of sympathy. Undoubtedly, he was longing for the Shire as much as she was longing for her apartment and that ratty old blanket. To both of them, those places were safety. Those places were _home_. With a sigh, she knew she wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Once she was up, she was _up._ No going back to sweet dreams of happy families and elves.

Getting to her feet and stretching out her body a bit, she winced as the feeling of sore muscles from laying on the ground too long and from having rested from their long walk. How long had they rested in the Golden Wood? It was hard for her to remember. Time seemed to pass differently here but she felt it could have been no more than a few days. Deciding that she was due for a bath anyway, she gathered up a dress that had been spared for her use, which had been likely placed with her things while she was sleeping, Danielle made sure that she had her toothbrush from her pack and headed to the same place she'd bathed in before.

Peeking inside, she was relieved to find it was empty and quickly disrobed. Glancing down at her body, she still had pudgy places on her belly and hips that had been stubborn and hadn't seemed to melt away over the last few weeks. If anything, her time in this place had caused the extra weight there to remain and perhaps return a little bit. Slightly embarrassed with that thought, she quickly descended into the hot water. She relaxed there for a short while before she grudgingly began to wash her hair and body with the soaps and oils available. It wasn't long before she was clean and smelling quite nice.

While she relaxed back into the water again, the young woman began to finger the silvery tendrils that mixed in with her darker hair. Since coming to this place, she'd noticed her hair seemed to become softer and finer but that could be attributed to the things that she'd just used for washing. What she wished she could explain was how her vision had been improving since the day before. Granted, back home her eye sight was not the best nor the worst but it was somewhere around 20/20. But to see leaves that were high above her head with normal, slightly blurry sight one day and be able to see the veins that spread across them the next without getting closer the next? That unsettled her.

And what of her hearing? In the last five years, her hearing had actually declined enough to warrant concern and begin constructing a plan with her doctor on what stage of hearing loss she should begin to invest in a hearing aid and how soon she should begin sign language classes. It was something that had begun with her time spent with Gary... So much had gone wrong with him in her life. She shook her head to clear it. No, she needed to think on how strange it was that her damaged hearing was somehow... repairing itself.

It was something she'd noticed slowly over the last two weeks of traveling with the Company. Things that would have seemed muffled or been difficult for her to hear before were clear as a bell. It was hard for her to admit but part of the reason she had given up dancing was that she had been having a harder time with being able to hear the tiny nuances of the music. The only reason she'd even been able to choreograph the last dance she'd done was because she was able to feel the beat resonating inside of her chest when she played the music.

With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself from the water. She'd stayed long enough that her fingers were like stretched prunes and her skin felt overly soft. With skin so saturated in water, she would have to be careful not to bump anything sharp. Her flesh would part like the red sea! Carefully pulling the soft dress onto her body, she frowned when she realized that her bosom was almost spilling over the top of the material and it didn't fit right at the waist and hips. She was grateful that instead of lacing up the back like other dresses she'd seen in this style, this one laced up the sides with a panel of cloth that sat between her skin and the cords that she loosened and then adjusted.

The dress was quite lovely with beading in a swirling flower pattern at the neckline that swooped low enough to show the very top of her cleavage but still was very modest. The sleeves were flowing from the shoulder with little lace ties at the elbow that kept the gauzy white fabric closed and then it flowed open from there to the ground. The material of the rest of the dress was warm, light and in a shade of the palest green. It felt amazing and Danielle wished she knew what the fabric was, where she could buy and and how she could make all of her clothes for the rest of time out of it. It was so soft!

Forcing herself to break from her thoughts, she turned to pick up her toothbrush. Legolas had shown her what the Eldar used as toothpaste and she found it not only tasted better but worked better than the toothpaste that she'd been rationing for a little while now. It was a kind of clean, sweet powder that foamed a little in the mouth once you got started. And you didn't need much to get going with it. She knew that if this stuff ever was brought home, all the big toothpaste companies would be clamoring for it. It was that amazingly good.

Once her teeth were clean and she had combed her fingers through her hair enough, she did the best French braid she could and let it hang down her back. By the time she arrived where the rest of the Company had been sleeping, it was far more active. More of the hobbits were awake and a fire was being stoked for making sausages and bacon for breakfast. The smell of the cooking meat made her stomach twist in anticipation. She was just about close enough to take a seat near the fire when Sam noticed her approach. Bashfully, he met her before she could sit and cleared his throat.

"Miss Danielle, I hope I'm not intruding but... back in the mines, you said you'd sing a song of my choice from your music box. Well, I was wonderin' if I could ask you to sing it before we break our fast, if you don't mind...?" he asked politely and with a bit of a rosy stain on his cheeks. He'd dutifully started cooking and had carefully pulled the pan that was currently warming a rasher of bacon a little more slowly than he normally cooked it up. Danielle couldn't help but to laugh and nod. His blush deepened and he waited patiently while she pulled out her phone and helped him to look for a song to sing and translate.

After a few minutes, he pointed out his choice and she glanced at the song in question before a lump formed in her throat. She really didn't like to sing this one out loud but she had promised the bashful hobbit a song of his choice. She swallowed as covertly as she could before giving a tight smile and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but that is one that I would rather not sing. The song's a bit depressing and I'd like to sing something a bit more happy, if that's okay? Could you choose another one? I promise I'll sing that one at some point but... just not today."

The hobbit gave her a sigh before he nodded and took the earbuds from her again and began to go through the songs again. Once more, the selection he made was melancholy in terms of what it was about. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Danielle shook her head and explained that this one was more depressing than the last. He was choosing the most depressing songs in her music because they were piano or guitar only songs that had a nice beat and he thought that maybe they had a nice song to go with it.

"Tell you what: there was a song that I kept thinking of when we were on that mountain. It's a song that is very upbeat and is actually associated with a story, if you'd like to hear it. There's lots of singing in this story, too. And I know all the songs by heart. Sound like a fair trade?"

Sam didn't get the chance to answer. There was a brief commotion over by the fire because Pippin had been too engrossed in listening to the pair talking that he hadn't been looking at what he was doing and had burned his fingers reaching blindly for something next to the fire. His yelp of pain and the following moment where nearly perfectly crisped bacon flew through the air when his foot knocked the pan off its perch had everyone scrambling backwards to avoid the burning grease that spread through the air in the crispy meat's wake.

"Pippin! Watch what you're doing!" Merry cried in surprise as he hid behind a tree to avoid the spatter of the popping grease. Boromir cried out in anger as well, though his reason was that a few of the scalding droplets had landed on his hand. Big, fat droplets that turned his skin extremely red and caused blisters to form later on, when his skin was treated by their hosts.

It was a little while before breakfast was eaten, with no further incidents to be reported. Aside from Pippin being banned quite loudly from being anywhere near the food while it was being cooked and him complaining that he'll starve under such rules. Merry gave him a slight smack upside the head for that but the poor little hobbit was just confused as ever.

Just after the meal concluded, Sam declared he accepted Danielle's offer to hear the story and the songs together. After his acceptance, it seemed that no one in the Company had other things they wished to do and the young woman had to fight a blush as she realized that they weren't the only ones who were going to be listening in.

"Right. Well, this story begins a very long time ago, in a land called Arrendale. It's a lush and beautiful kingdom during the summers and the winters are a lot of fun for children and adults alike. And no one had more fun during the winter than the two princesses of this kingdom, Elsa and Anna, for Elsa was a special child beyond being a princess. She was born with the gift of magic to control and create snow and ice. Anna always liked to play with Elsa and her magic and one night, when the rest of the palace was asleep, Anna woke her sister saying, 'The sky is awake, so I'm awake! That means we must play!' They crept to the ballroom to play..."

0o0o0o0

Three hours later, Danielle's voice was getting tired. Not only had she done the job of story-telling and singing, Pippin, Merry, Sam and even Frodo had asked her quite a few deep questions about the characters, locations and why certain things had happened in the story. Like when she threw in the twist that the King and Queen didn't die when the boat sank and had died in a jungle defending their newborn son, whom had miraculously survived the sinking ship and was raised by gorillas. Or explaining about the trolls in this story. Legolas had actually rolled his eyes at the idea of good and magical trolls in this story after Boromir had snorted very loudly and proclaimed the story to be childish.

"Well, it's meant to be a childish story, Boromir. The story was made for children where I come from. This is just the very nice version of it," Danielle had explained with narrowed eyes. He'd been very flirtatious from the moment they'd found her and now, the longer they stayed in Lothlórien, the more he'd become slightly more sexist and piggish towards her. Like he expected her to suddenly just become a demure lady once they were in a 'safe place.' And his attitude had become slightly more possessive. Like she was his or something. She had only one response to this. _Hell. No._

"The nice version of it? There's another version?" Pippin's ears perked up.

"Yes. There are many stories where I come from that are meant for children but the story is changed so that there's a happy ending instead of some versions where it's not so happy."

"Such as...?" Legolas asked. It was the first he'd spoken all morning and it nearly surprised the young brunette. She turned to him and thought about it before answering.

"Well... it would require me to tell another story to really give you a good comparison on the way it was changed and I'd like to save that for later..." she hedged. There were a few protests from Pippin but they were silenced by a smack upside his head from his cousin. Danielle wanted so badly to laugh at the confused look on his face but bit her tongue.

"I believe that you have earned a rest from speaking on such things," the voice of Haldir startled her. His tone was slightly stiff and his gaze was not unfriendly but not entirely welcoming. Danielle theorized that he was still scandalized by the song she'd sung him before. Prude. "The Lady would speak with you. Please follow me."

Looking around with some confusion on what it is she could want this time, she shrugged and gathered bunches of her soft dress in her fists to follow him. She was led back to the same place she'd met with them before and this time, Haldir departed before they arrived. He must not have wanted to hear another song about kilts and bonnie stars and ribbons.

This time, she heard her approaching footsteps long before she arrived. She was rubbing her ears uneasily when Lady Galadriel walked in. Ancient and knowing eyes appraised the uneasy stance and the way her eyes were constantly trying to focus on what was in front of her rather than staring at everything in awe with the ever-improving vision she was gaining.

"You are changing," her lyrical voice was soft but sure as she spoke. The tone brooked no argument. It was a statement, not a question.

"How do you know?" Danielle asked. She wasn't going to beat around the bush if she wasn't. "I haven't been here all that long."

"It is in your very being. Your body is changing, even as we speak. Your _hror_ changes to accommodate your _fëa_."

Confusion marred her expression as she tried to work out what the two foreign words meant and how it applied to her. "My what is what now?"

"Your... spirit is burning too brightly to remain in a mortal body, Danielle. I was unsure when I first saw you, when we first met alone, if my sight was being deceived. I could not see into your mind for the tongue you speak is one I do not know and the images you think of are strange and terrifying at times. But my Mirror has made things clear to me now," the weight of the thousands of years she had lived were ringing in the elleth's voice as she spoke.

Fear burned brightly and quickly in her chest as she heard this. "Are you telling me that I'm dying? Is that why my hair started changing color and some of my hair fell out?"

The elleth in front of her gave her an even stare as she walked towards a nearby balcony and then turned her gaze to the massive trees and the many telain they contained. Danielle followed with her question hanging in the air. Her stomach and chest twisted into knots as she waited for her to answer. After what seemed like forever, but was likely only a few minutes, the golden-haired beauty turned to the young woman. Stars seemed to shine in her eyes along with the wisdom of her years.

"Your spirit burns too brightly for a mortal body to contain it, so your body is trying to become immortal. But there is something that prevents your body from completing the transition. Some force holds you in between mortal and immortal... and eventually, it will take its toll upon you. You are beginning to hear better, to see better. You are becoming stronger, your body is beginning to have better balance and reflexes. But once all these changes have completed, you will weaken. Your body will begin to go through what we call _fading._ It is a process that can be reversed but only if you can discover what it is that is stopping the change."

"What is _fading?_ " Danielle asked wearily. She felt like this conversation was taking its toll on her.

"Elves are immortal. Legolas has explained this to you?" The young woman nodded, her eyes scrunching up as she took in the expression on the elleth's face. It was carefully schooled. "Our kind can die only in battle or in terrible grief. Dying from grief is _fading._ Grief so profound that we cannot recover our will to live. There are many reasons that Elves may feel such grief, even if they are not consciously aware of it, and fade."

"Like... what?"

"Has Legolas or anyone else explained how Elves marry?" Danielle thought this question was way out of left field but shook her head in confusion. Where the heck was this going?

"After a year-long betrothal, there is a ceremony involving the families of those desiring to wed. However, the true marriage does not occur before the eyes of those who witness the ceremony. When Elves marry, it is through the binding of bodies and through that act, the binding of souls occur. So, if an elleth is raped, it is not just suffering to her body. Her very soul becomes damaged. To rape one of the Eldar is to kill them."

"Okay... so how do I stop this fading? What do I have to do? Is there some ritual or special quest or something?" Fear and panic was twisting through her stomach as she asked these questions. That sick feeling you get when something is horribly wrong and you can do nothing to fix it? The one where your stomach and your heart are fighting it out in your belly for the top spot? That was what Danielle was feeling, except this feeling made her want to just curl up and die right then and there.

"I do not know. The only way that I know of to stop a fading is to take the path to the Grey Havens and travel to the Undying Lands," she responded gravely. Danielle's eyebrows shot up.

"Great. When do I leave? I mean, if I can get there before this fading begins or gets really bad..." Danielle began.

"You will not be going to the Undying Lands."

The young woman's mouth clamped shut. She stared at Lady Galadriel with a growing anger and horror. She started to sputter out the beginning of one question before it was overwhelmed by another. She couldn't articulate the simple questions of 'why not' or 'what did I do wrong' or 'what did I do to deserve to die like this?' Lady Galadriel waited calmly for the woman to quiet down, which took several minutes. During this time, the elleth's face grew softer and kinder.

"You cannot go there because your fate is not yet decided. You have more questions but I think you have enough to think about tonight, Danielle Barr. Rest and I will call upon you to speak of this further when I believe you are ready."

She turned away from Danielle in a clear dismissal. The young woman was dazed and stunned by this information. And she instinctively didn't want to share it with anyone at all. This was intensely private. How does one even go about talking about their impending fading with people you've only recently gotten to know? 'Yeah, those sausages and tomatoes for lunch were fantastic. So, it looks like I'm going to die shortly because my body can't figure out if it's human or not. Yeah, it's my soul, apparently. Too bright for this mortal coil. Sucks, right?'

And for that matter, what the hell did it mean that her soul was burning too brightly for a mortal body? Danielle was sorely confused on that. Back home, there wasn't any issue. Then again, she was thrown into a world where magic was real, elves existed and weird dreams about horrible and wonderful things were filling her head. Maybe her soul couldn't handle the magic or something. Or maybe whatever magic Gandalf used on her had gone bad? The bad dreams and changing didn't really start until after that massive headache that came with the whammy he used to help her learn this _Westron._ That had to be it. Danielle didn't notice the odd looks she received from Haldir as he led her back to the Company. She also didn't notice the possessive stance Boromir took as he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her back to where she had been resting the night before.

She didn't know that she was so very tired until her rear touched the pallet. Danielle thanked the man quietly as she adjusted the pillow and curled up on her side. She didn't know how long she slept but she woke up briefly to gently reject Sam's offer of lunch. She wasn't really hungry after all the talk of impending personal doom.

0o0o0o0

She was dreaming again. She knew it because of the people she saw. Haldir. Nana. Orophin. Rúmil. There were smiles and laughter. Jokes were being told and Danielle's host was laughing heartily at something that the Marchwarden had said as she carried a bowl of fruit to the table in the middle of the room. In this dream, she was older. Her laugh was more feminine. Arms and legs were longer, lithe and filled with strength. Strength that came from working with a bow and with a sword. Her height rivaled that of her Nana. Either she was an adult or very nearly to her majority.

Danielle was at peace with this dream. All she felt from her host was happiness and joy. Contentment. Eyes were sparkling and dancing with mirth and glasses were filled with cider and wine. They ate their meal with such a pleasure just to be around one another. This was a feeling of family that Danielle had never known was possible. The love from these people could be felt in everything they did.

It was as her host was getting up to refill her glass with cider that everything changed. Danielle felt her face freeze for half a second in that joyous expression and then terrible grief and horror filled her as a light washed over her vision. Faintly, she heard the glass that had been in her hand fall and shatter on the ground but the images racing across her field of view were far more important.

"No... no... no... ADA...!" she moaned and then wept. Instantly, four pairs of hands were grasping at her, four different voices begging to know what was wrong. "He has fallen! Eru, Ada has fallen at the borders! He goes to the Halls of Mandos! Ada!"

Her voice was strangled with the grief that filled her at this sudden loss to her world. Someone was holding her upright because her legs felt like jelly at that moment. Danielle wanted to howl from the pain that lanced through her heart. She had no idea that grief could feel this powerful! So encompassing! The vision played itself before her eyes over and over and somehow, she knew that when it started that it had been happening in real time. The image of disgusting, foul creatures, of orcs, attacking the border closest to Moria. Ada loosing arrows upon the filth and then leading the others into combat when their arrows were all gone.

It was a large incursion attempt, at least 200 strong. They had been barely a match for the experienced wardens of the Golden Wood. But one of the filthy creatures had been a little more cunning than his brethren. He lay among the fallen and waited until the wardens had assumed their victory was complete. When their backs were turned, he loosed his own black arrow and it pierced the skull from behind, right through the eye of their leader. Ada.

Time seemed to move forward quickly in the dream. One moment, she was reliving the death of someone deeply loved by her over and over again. Then, Danielle was looking into the face of her Nana. She was pale, almost grey in color. Her hair had lost its luster and her eyes stared blankly out at the world around her.

"Nana, you must eat something. Please? I need you to eat something..." came the strained and nearly broken voice of her host. The lyrical quality to her voice was hauntingly beautiful, even with the sorrow laced through her words. Nana's golden eyes flickered over to her daughter for a moment and some recognition filled them.

"My Mírel, my shining jewel. Your Ada is coming home today. We need to welcome him home properly. Can you go to the baker and get a fresh loaf of bread for me? I'm afraid I must remain here and tend to the venison stew..." the dreamy quality of her voice and the glazed look in her eyes made it obvious to any who looked upon her just how broken the elleth was. Dark bruises under her eyes showed her exhaustion.

"Mírel, come here penneth," a gentle voice bade her. Looking up, Danielle was not surprised to see Galadriel standing in the open doorway of the talan, her arms open and welcoming.

"Lady Galadriel!" her voice was filled with emotion. The Lady of the Golden Wood visited every family personally to see how they fared and took special attention to those who have lost husbands, wives, children. She wrapped Danielle's host in a comforting embrace.

"Mírel, do you understand what is happening to your Naneth?"

Tears rolled down her face as she shook her head.

"She is fading, little one. The loss of your Adar has been too much for her heart to bear."

"Is there nothing we can do?" she cried in horror. She lost her Ada only weeks ago. She was not sure if she could bear the loss of her Nana too.

"No, little one. Not unless she agrees to sail."

"But, Lady Galadriel... I do not know if she even knows where she is anymore. She keeps talking about how we must prepare for Ada to come home, like we always did when he came back from the borders. Venison stew and warm bred with butter. She keeps talking about it but she refuses to eat anymore. I do not know if she would survive going to the Grey Havens or sailing to Valinor."

"Then she will fade to the Halls of Mandos and wait for her rebirth in Valinor with your Ada."

"But I don't want her to die," she began to weep while the Lady of the Golden Wood gently stroked her head.

"Do not despair, little one. You will see her again one day. Her and your Ada will be waiting for you on white shores when it is your time to sail."

While she was being held in the arms of the Lady, a sound that filled her with grief reached her ears and she began to weep anew. Her Nana had stopped breathing.

0o0o0o0

Danielle woke to the gentle light that was everywhere in the forest after dark. That bluish glow that encompassed everything was strangely comforting. Her eyes felt puffy and her cheeks were wet. Slightly confused and still mostly asleep, she touched her fingers to her face and pulled them back to find salty tears. She'd been crying in her sleep. The grief from the dream was still heavy in her breast and left a ball of iron in her stomach. Why was she having these dreams? Why did she have those nightmares? What was _wrong_ with her?


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm so sorry for the long wait on this chapter. A _lot_ has happened in the last few weeks. It's why this chapter is so short. I felt you guys deserved at least some kind of update while I get my head wrapped around the personal stuff that's been dogging me.**

 **I was hospitalized for about a week at the beginning of the month for an infection in my bowel called diverticulitis. Basically, a piece of food got caught in a little pouch that formed in my colon and irritated it to the point where there was intense pain and swelling and if I hadn't gotten to a hospital, it might have ruptured and I would have needed surgery. Thankfully, that didn't happen. I got help in time. However, follow ups included getting a CAT scan of my lower abdomen to make sure the swelling is going down and found something they weren't looking for.**

 **I have found out that I have these things called lytic lesions on my L5 vertebrae and they cover at least half of that specific bone. What that means is that the bone is compromised. It's weakened. It's vulnerable to fracture. And there are about a million reasons that this could have happened but the most common result when you search for that phrase on Google is 'Bone Tumor,' which is the most terrifying thing because many of those results are also leading to different types of cancer. So, as of right now, I have an MRI and a bone scan scheduled for next week to find out if this is just an infection or if this is cancer. A lot to think about, right? So, please enjoy this chapter and I apologize for it being so short.**

 **I would like to give my thanks to the reviewers for their encouragement. It does help so much to have people who are so kind and generous as to leave their thoughts and opinions for the story and I really take those to heart. Katherine Sparrow, Brooke 2012, Guests 1 and 2, FrlBarth, Puffgirl1952 the 2nd and jshaw0624.**

0o0o0o0o0

 _It's funny how your perception can change in such a short span of time,_ Danielle mused. For so long, she had always been under the impression that her life was one of the most screwed up one could have. Then she was swept away to this place. Arda. A place where Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits and orcs and trolls and all manner of creature live with men.

 _Let's not forget the nightmares. Who knew dreaming of being tortured could feel so real? And the other things those monsters did..._ she shuddered at the thought. Pippin had told her about how she had screamed before they reached the elven city and they couldn't wake her. She remembered that nightmare more than all the others. That was the most terrifying nightmare she'd had. She still curled up into the fetal position if the memory popped into her head while laying on her pallet and a sickening, twisting feeling would fill her belly.

With a heavy sigh, she shifted her position beneath the tree she was sitting. They'd been here for two weeks but time seemed to move differently in the Golden Wood. It seemed so much longer. Her eyes drifted towards the practice field where she could see Gimli and Legolas conducting a little competition between the two of them.

Legolas was trying his skill with throwing axes and his aim was excellent. But this was obviously an area that Gimli had toiled long and hard. His aim wasn't slightly to the left or the right as his Elvish companion was. It was dead center. And the Dwarf was boasting about it quite loudly to the blond prince's chagrin.

The annoyed look on his beautiful face was enough to break Danielle from her sullen mood. He glanced in her direction and she had to lift her hand to hide the amused quirk of her lips, surreptitiously trying to look like she was scratching an itch on her nose. She knew he had seen, though.

An amused look crossed the elf's face and he waved to her that she should join them. She shook her head at first until he tapped on Gimli's shoulder and then he, too, began to call and wave at her. Letting her head fall against the tree in exasperation, she grudgingly stood up. She might not be quite as sullen as she was before but that didn't mean she was entirely up for human, er... elvish or dwarvish interactions. Still, these had become her friends over the last few weeks, her only lifelines to the world she had been forced into. She might as well make an effort, no matter how much she didn't want to.

As Danielle approached, she noticed that Legolas had picked up his bow and was preening over it. She was struck, not for the first time since coming to this world, by how inhumanly beautiful he was. It was unfair. On her best day she managed to look really cute, thank you very much. Just the right shade of eye shadow, some eye liner, mascara and a good tweeze on her eyebrows and you would have alluring eyes worthy of a magazine. Especially since she modeled her makeup after the ones she's seen in the magazine pages.

But being around all these beautiful people? It was enough to make her feel like she got hit by every branch on the way down from the ugly tree. Twice. Of course, Danielle's perception of herself had always been a bit skewed. It was even worse after Gary... She forced that thought from her head. She was close enough now that she heard the pleased grumblings of the stout dwarf that had begun acting much like a father to her.

Gimli had become more and more of a friend these last few days. Although he didn't seem to mind the occasional dirty joke, he tended to treat her with respect and reverence. Standing in front of the odd pair and feeling very awkward, she raised an eyebrow.

"You waved?"

"Something entertained you, _mellon?_ " Legolas asked. He was still examining his bow with pride. It was a beautiful bow. The wood was a rich, burnished color and had delicate inlays carved into the surface that reminded her of the forest she had arrived in, but more... dangerous. When the wood flexed, carvings of ferns and trees stretched to look like they were bowing with a gentle breeze. She decided to answer him in English.

 _"Did you just call me a melon?"_ she asked with a hint of laughter in her voice. Gimli looked distinctly irritated at once again being suddenly left out of the conversation.

 _"I did not call you a melon. 'Mellon' means 'friend' in my tongue,"_ he responded with a smirk.

"Lassie, I would very much like to **understand** what it is you are saying!" the dwarf ground out. Danielle laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"I asked him if he was calling me by the name of a fruit in my language. _Mellon_ sounds like _melon,_ which is a large fruit with a thick rind where I come from. There are many different types and they all taste wonderful, if you ask me," she grinned.

"I did not call you by the name of a fruit, my friend," the elf laughed softly. Gimli chuckled and it sounded thunderous.

"There are many words in that language that are fruity, if you ask me!" he chortled. Danielle couldn't help but laugh as well. She was sure that if Legolas wasn't in such a good mood, he probably would have been offended.

"Perhaps you are both hungry, for it seems food is the only thing on your minds," he quipped before coming behind Danielle and guiding her to stand in front of one of the targets that were not in use. An amused look in his eye and the corner of his lips turned up, he handed her one of the practice bows that leaned on the tree next to her. Her eyes went wide and she looked at the weapon suddenly in her hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Her voice was an octave higher than it had been a second ago.

"My lady, I thought it was clear! You enjoyed watching me try my hand at something that Gimli is very talented with. I had thought you would like to have the chance to try something I am more acquainted with."

Danielle's eyes grew wide and a squeaking sound that was meant to be a laugh came from her throat.

"Oh, no. No. I am not... no. I'll probably break this thing."

Amusement covered the elf's face as he gently guided her over to a target that was placed 20 feet away. Gimli's eyes were alight with satisfaction as well. Danielle felt hopeless. She was going to shoot herself in the foot. She just knew it.


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you to everyone for being so supportive and reading this story while I've been away. I know it's been a while since I've updated and a lot of personal things were happening. As I've stated in a previous chapter, I found out that I have something on my spine. It's a tumor that covers 50% or more of my L5 vertebrae. I've seen a neurosurgeon and he ordered a biopsy. Unfortunately, the guy that did the biopsy has horrible aim, so even though he got a sample of the bone, he didn't get the tumor. And he did the biopsy twice inside of a single month. TWICE. He did a biopsy to get a piece of the tumor twice and missed his objective. How does that even happen, right? Because I'm flabbergasted here.

So, we still have no idea of what the tumor is exactly. Meaning, I may have cancer and I won't find out for a few more months because we're going to wait until April to get more scans done and I may need to have a large piece of that bone removed, if not the whole thing if the next biopsy isn't done right. **_Sigh_ _._** Sorry to dump all that on you guys.

Next chapter is in the works but I wanted to make sure you guys knew I was still thinking of you all and hadn't abandoned this story. I have always wanted to do a LoTR fanfiction because I see so many excellent stories and I wanted to let my own story out too. Anyway.

I want to give thanks to my reviewers of the last chapter. Your reviews are inspiring and I want to make the next chapter really great and exciting. This chapter seems a bit more like fluff and is a lot shorter than my normal fare. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it. Again, thank you to my reviewers Puffgirl1952 the 2nd, SameandJake, TheMamaBear, WickedGreene13, Guests 1-4, jshaw0624, gginsc, and Iduna.

0o0o0o0

Danielle was barely keeping the trembling out of her hands as she was shown the correct stance and placement of her hands. No matter what her excuse, the dwarf and the elf wouldn't have it. She was going to learn how to shoot a bow. They had encouraged her to at least make an attempt when he had shown her over to the target. The arrow had fallen grossly short of the intended destination.

As in, the arrow left the string, flipped over itself and landed limply on the ground. She turned red as she thought of the uproarious laughter Gimli had released at that. More than a little laughter had escaped the blond elf that now inspected her for any deviation in his instruction.

After a brief pause of looking at her left hand and arm that held the bow out and right hand that was loosely resting on the string, he adjusted her hold.

"You hold so tightly that your arm will tire quickly and your hand will not be able to maintain the grip. If you hold the bow here and loosen your hold, ah! Not quite that loose," he chuckled as she nearly dropped it and he adjusted her grip.

"Maybe I shouldn't be holding a bow in the first place?" she responded nervously as he once again inspected her hold and then nodded in satisfaction that she was holding it just the way he wanted.

"You cannot learn if you do not try," Legolas smiled. He came up behind her and showed her the correct way to pull back the string. "Now, hold the string like this for a moment and look down the length of your arm. If an arrow were held here, you would be looking down the shaft to judge your target's distance. Now, do you feel the wind?"

Danielle's heart had been pounding at the thought of holding this weapon at the beginning. The idea that she was going to be holding anything more dangerous than the serrated knife she'd brought on the camping trip all those weeks ago, that she might accidentally hit something she wasn't supposed to had scared her horribly. When Legolas came up behind her, the tempo changed. She swallowed down her apprehension and nodded absently to the question he'd asked.

"Good. That is something you will take into consideration when you loose an arrow at the target, but we will talk more of that later. For now, I only want for you to practice holding the bow and pulling the string. Your arm is shaking with the strain; this will lessen with time."

"Okay... How long do I hold the string back for?" she muttered as she struggled to hold it continuously. They laughed together and heartily.

"You may release it now, my friend," Legolas replied brightly. "I wish for you to pull it back and release until I tell you otherwise. I will be watching carefully to make sure that your stance is correct and that your posture is not lacking."

Danielle let the string go with a deep sigh of relief. Then she paused.

"Until you tell me otherwise? Wait a second. That sounds like you plan on having me do this for a while. How long are we talking here?" she asked, placing her hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow... as best as she could raise only one eyebrow. Which was just slightly. She was not gifted in that department. The amusement in the blond's eyes increased with the pitch of her voice.

"Yes. Until I tell you otherwise. If I am to teach you to use a bow, you must build strength in your arm. Then, if time permits, I will teach you more," he grinned. Gimli gave a grunt and nodded.

"Aye, lass. You need to build your strength. And then, I'll teach you something about the art of throwing axes!"

Danielle began to laugh at this statement. Immediately, Gimli turned slightly redder than his beard and started to mutter under his breath.

"Gimli, wait! I'm not laughing at you. I laugh at myself. If I try to imagine myself throwing axes, I think of a _boomerang._ "

"What is a... _boomerang?_ " he asked curiously. "Is it a children's toy of some kind?"

"Ah, well... there's this land that was discovered a long time ago that was of great size but surrounded by water. A country. There were people that lived there and they had a weapon that they could throw and it would travel quite a distance before it would circle back around to them and they would catch it if it didn't get embedded into the body of an animal or enemy. They called the weapon a boomerang.

"When that land was claimed by another people, I guess over time the weapon was changed and softened to become a toy. And I was always terrible at throwing the boomerang. I can't even throw a _Frisbee!"_ she laughed awkwardly. She saw him open his mouth to ask what _that_ was and held up her hand.

"It's a toy. A light curved disc that people throw to each other over as large a distance as they can or they throw it to see if their dogs will chase it and catch it in the air. I have no idea who came up with that idea."

"How _do_ you know so many things?" Legolas asked curiously. He had noticed that Danielle seemed very knowledgeable and he thought it was well that women of her world were so educated if they wished to be. However, he noticed that when they had spoken of her homeland, she indicated that not everyone was well educated, either by choice or otherwise.

"I... I like to read. I think that it's important to have knowledge, to be able to know even the basics of something. There are a lot of people in my world who just settle for the bare minimum of education and then forget everything that they learned growing up. There are people who have no idea what year our country was founded, who don't know the names of important people in our history. There are people in my country that don't know basic information that children are taught from a very early age.

"I love my country. It has a lot of improvements that could be made but I do love it. One thing that breaks my heart is that there are so many who claim they love it but don't understand it. Politics become so important to some people and don't mean enough to others. People vote on laws they don't understand or based upon personal hatreds passed down from generations. There are people who think that we should change how we elect our leaders because things didn't turn out the way they wanted it to; those processes are in place to prevent a single group from gaining too much power," she had started out with hesitation and then began to speak with an impassioned voice. Her chest was heaving by the time she finished speaking. Danielle blushed as she shrunk back into herself. "Even if you disagree with the leader elected, the same processes elected the previous leaders, too."

"I can tell that you mean what you say," Legolas responded softly after a moment. He'd studied the glint in her eye and fervor of her beliefs as she spoke them and it did not escape him that her fist had clenched tighter around the bow as she spoke. "Why do people forget these things?"

"Because they feel there are more important things to remember, I suppose," she replied in a slightly deflated manner. "I'm an oddity because I've always thought it was important to remember these little pieces of history along with the big pieces."

"Have there been great wars where you are from?" Gimli asked suddenly. Danielle looked at him and frowned.

"Yeah, there have. Terrible wars. You would be sick if I told you how many died in some of them. How many innocents were murdered... I can't even think about that right now."

"Then we will speak of it no more," Legolas stated with a gentle hand upon her shoulder. The tense set of her shoulders seemed to relax quickly. "Come! Let us focus on more entertaining things. I'm sure the hobbits are up to mischief and it would be foolish to miss the results."


End file.
